On February 22, 2023, Brother Andrey Andreyev was released from prison in Russia after spending more than three years in detention.

Andrey was arrested along with several other brothers after mass searches and interrogations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kursk on October 16, 2019. After spending almost 20 months in pretrial detention, he was sentenced to prison on June 3, 2021.

While imprisoned for his faith, Andrey did his best to care for the spiritual needs of his wife, Svetlana, and their two daughters, Anzhelika and Albina. Through letters, he provided regular spiritual instruction and even wrote the wedding talk for Anzhelika, who got married during his imprisonment. Anzhelika says: “He wrote a wonderful, touching talk. It really pulled at the heartstrings of all our guests . . . and helped us feel like he was right there with us on that day.”

In order to visit Andrey, his family would travel by bus eight hours one way. Though taxing, Svetlana remarks that she and her daughters were always supported by the local Witnesses who provided lodging, food, and transportation to and from the detention center. Some would even stand in the visitation line, often overnight, to hold a spot for the family to be able to visit Andrey.

Despite suffering the physical effects of his harsh imprisonment, Andrey’s spiritual health remains strong. His Christian personality gained him the respect of the prison authorities, who granted him extra visitation rights because of his fine reputation. Regarding his conviction, Andrey states: “I have no resentment, no anger, and certainly no hatred for anyone. With God’s help, I have succeeded and I am happy.”

We are confident that Andrey’s commitment to display Christian love will continue to be richly rewarded by Jehovah.—1 John 4:16.