Biography
When neighbors learned that a criminal case had been initiated against Khetag Dzhanaev, they signed a petiton in support of him and wrote character references. One neighbor, seeing him after the court hearing to determine the preventive measure, burst into tears, hugged him, and said: "Where should I go, whom should I ask, where should I write to so that they leave you alone? They've found a criminal!"
Khetag Dzhanaev was born in July 1971 in Vladikavkaz. He has lived most of his life in this city. From the age of 12, he grew up with his mother, as his parents separated. His father has already passed away.
As a child, Khetag enjoyed football and was in a drama and a breakdancing club. After 10th grade, he enrolled in a financial vocational college. He graduated in 1993, after completing military service. Life in the 1990s was not easy; Khetag scraped by, doing odd jobs until he began working in interior decorating — since then, this has been his line of work.
Khetag says about his interests: "I have always enjoyed a good film. Sometimes I like to rewatch movies from the Soviet era. I love playing the guitar. But most of all, I enjoy spending time with friends and going with them to the mountains. There, in the mountains, it is quiet and majestic."
From childhood, Khetag had questions: what is the purpose of life? Why is there so much injustice? One day, a former classmate gave him a book explaining the origin of life according to the Bible. "It was a real revelation. I had never read anything more logical and understandable," recalls Khetag. In August 1996, he was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. His lifestyle changed drastically. Those who have known him for a long time respect these changes and, for example, do not allow themselves to use foul language in his presence.
That same year, 1996, Khetag met Angela. In July of the following year, they got married. Angela works as a sales assistant, enjoys baking Ossetian pies, hosting guests, and tries her hand at writing poetry. Khetag's wife first met Jehovah's Witnesses when she accompanied her mother to meetings for worship. Later, she wanted to study the Bible herself.
The couple has two adult sons. Khetag's mother is already over 80. She is a veteran of labor — she worked for 50 years as a laboratory assistant in meat-and-dairy expertise, for which she was awarded a medal. She is disabled: she underwent cancer surgery, has had a hip and knee replacement, and every 6 months she is admitted to cardiology for routine treatment. On the day of the search and Khetag's detention, she was in the hospital for an unscheduled stay. As a result of the stress, Khetag also experienced health problems — his stomach ailments worsened.
In July 2026, a masked arrest team broke into the Dzhanaevs' apartment: officers forced Khetag and his sons face down onto the floor and handcuffed them. He was put behind bars for a day, and afterwards — placed under house arrest.