JANUARY 20, 2022
RUSSIA
Seven Brothers in Russia Find Strength in Their Creator
The Pechora City Court of the Komi Republic will soon announce its verdict in the case involving Brothers Nikolay Anufriyev, Eduard Merinkov, Gennadiy Polyakevich, Aleksandr Prilepskiy, Viktor Shchannikov, Gennadiy Skutelets, and Aleksandr Vorontsov. The prosecutor has yet to request a potential sentence.
Time Line
January 28, 2020
Authorities searched the homes of 12 families of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Komi Republic. A criminal case against Brothers Polyakevich and Skutelets was initiated
January 30, 2020
Gennadiy Polyakevich was sent to a pretrial detention center, and Gennadiy Skutelets was placed under house arrest
May 20-25, 2020
Fellow believers from Pechora were interrogated as potential witnesses in the criminal case. After being threatened by an investigator, one brother suffered a stroke. He has since recovered
June 26, 2020
The detention of Gennadiy Polyakevich was extended. The judge stated that Gennadiy Polyakevich is accused of “committing an intentional grave crime,” including speaking about the “need to continue serving Jehovah despite persecution by the authorities”
August 24, 2020
Authorities searched the homes of 12 additional Witness families
November 10, 2020
A criminal case was opened against Aleksandr Prilepskiy, Aleksandr Vorontsov, Eduard, Nikolay, and Viktor. This case was merged with the case against Gennadiy Polyakevich and Gennadiy Skutelets
November 25, 2020
After spending 300 days in a pretrial detention center, Gennadiy Polyakevich was released and placed under house arrest
January 27, 2021
After 363 days under house arrest, Gennadiy Skutelets was released
Profiles
We are confident that our brothers’ faith in Jehovah’s goodness will be rewarded with blessings now and in the future.—Psalm 27:13.