Izhevsk Court Sentenced Two Jehovah's Witnesses, Both 74, to Penal Colony for Three Years

Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov became the oldest of those imprisoned for believing in Jehovah God—on November 12, 2025, Judge Rustam Tagirov found them guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced them to 3 years in prison. The pensioners were taken into custody in the courtroom.

Valeriy Knyazev is a veteran of labor with 29 years of experience in the fire department. In the late 1990s, he served as assistant chief, and was awarded three medals, including "For Impeccable Service". Before the verdict was passed, the believer was waiting for an operation to replace the knee joint but lost this opportunity due to detention. He could walk without pain only with the help of an expensive orthosis, but it is not yet clear how to get it being imprisoned.

Criminal prosecution—surveillance, three searches, a day in a temporary detention center, summons to the Investigative Committee and participation in court hearings—affected Valeriy Knyazev's health. He was hospitalized in cardiology for a week. Recalling the detention, Valeriy noted: "I was grateful to my fellow believers for their help, as at that time I felt depressed. I had high blood pressure."

The Knyazevs have been married for 52 years. Valeriy's wife Galina, a disabled person of group III, speaking in court, said: "My husband has knee necrosis, but he helps me, constantly supports me, goes to the store, does all the physical work."

Indus Talipov worked as a blacksmith for almost 20 years. The court interrogated his ex-wife as a witness. She described him as a caring and sympathetic person: "Indus is adored by his neighbors. And when I was [recently] in the hospital, he was always there, brought food, and took care of me."

A criminal case against believers was initiated in June 2024. The trial in the Pervomaiskiy District Court of Izhevsk lasted 11 months. The basis for the accusation was the testimony of a secret witness. The materials against Aleksandr Stefanidin, the third defendant in the case, were placed in a separate proceeding.

In Udmurtia, 10 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been persecuted. Law enforcement officers initiate criminal cases against believers despite their advanced age, serious illnesses and services to society. Among them Yevgeniy Stefanidin, a disabled person of group II with cancer, and Aleksandr Kutin, a top-class gas electric welder, who served oxygen systems in hospitals during the pandemic.