"Freedom Was Always With Me" — Crimea Resident Yevgeniy Zhukov Has Served His Sentence for His Faith

On June 9, 2026, Jehovah's Witness Yevgeniy Zhukov, convicted for his faith, completed his sentence. His wife and friends traveled about 2,200 kilometers — from Sevastopol to Yaroslavl — to share with him the first minutes of his freedom.

"Freedom was always with me," Yevgeniy shared his first feelings after leaving the penal colony. "It was only temporary restrictions that prevented me from being with my loved ones and friends and embracing them."

Although Yevgeniy managed to build friendly relations with both other prisoners and the administration, his imprisonment was not without difficulties. "I was placed under strict detention conditions. There, you have to spend the whole day sitting, almost without moving. Before that, I worked in construction, then I trained as a baker and worked in a bakery for almost a year... My attitude toward work showed that I am a believer. Also, work helped me not to focus on negative feelings," the believer said about his daily life behind bars.

The highlight of his time in custody was Yevgeniy's wedding: in July 2024 he registered his marriage to Tatyana. Guests who had traveled thousands of kilometers attended the ceremony.

The criminal case against Yevgeniy was initiated back in October 2020; that was when he was first arrested. The case materials listed such "crimes" as: "acts of mercy... distributing information in society on scientific, social, and historical topics." All of this was interpreted as "organizing extremist activity." In October 2022, the court sentenced him to 6 years' imprisonment. In fact, the believer spent almost 4.5 years behind bars.

According to Yevgeniy, the numerous letters he received were what kept him from losing heart. "Thanks to the letters, I woke up every day with a smile; I looked forward to them. Especially letters from elderly people..." said Yevgeniy, struggling to hold back tears. "Those are the most touching letters. When they tell about their life, how they made their way, what they do — it is of great value. I have three boxes of such letters, there are thousands of them. In three large notebooks, I have written out interesting thoughts from those letters. I want to keep them in my heart."

Speaking about what he thinks about what he went through, Yevgeniy said: "For me, it was not so much a trial as a test. Prison is like litmus paper; it showed me who I am inside and what I need to work on. The Bible principle says, 'There is no fear in love.' In word, prison is scary. Many prisoners of conscience are probably in far harsher conditions than I was. But I sincerely say: there is no need to be afraid. God will always hold your hand."

Together with Yevgeniy in the same case, two other believers from Sevastopol — Vladimir Sakada and Vladimir Maladyka — were convicted. Their release is expected in July 2026.