On May 2, 2024, the Mayskiy District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic acquitted Brother Kirill Gushchin. He was found not guilty of all charges.

1. May 20, 2020

   Armed, masked FSB officers confronted Kirill as he left for work. The officers handcuffed him and escorted him back to his apartment. He and his wife, Svetlana, were kept in one room of their apartment while it was being searched. An officer planted banned publications in the couple’s bedroom and another room

2. April 26, 2021

   Authorities opened a criminal case against Kirill based on the testimony of an individual who secretly had recorded meetings. The investigator accused him of singing and praying as well as discussing the Bible’s practical advice at 1 Corinthians 13:8, which says: “Love never fails.”

3. April 28, 2021

   Authorities officially charged Kirill. A separate criminal case was opened against Svetlana and four other sisters

4. May 19, 2021

   One of the FSB officers involved in the case—who was previously convicted of falsifying evidence against Jehovah’s Witnesses—was accused of witness intimidation. The head of the Investigative Department ordered that the case be returned to the prosecutor for further investigation

5. June 7, 2021

   The case was reinstated and brought before the Mayskiy District Court

Like Kirill, we are confident that Jehovah will become “a secure refuge in times of distress” to him and all our brothers and sisters enduring persecution in Russia and Crimea.—Psalm 9:9, 10.