On August 23, 2021, the Perm Territory Court denied the appeal of Boris, Aleksandr, Viktor, Igor, and Yuriy. Their original sentences remain in force.

On May 12, 2021, the Industrial District Court of the City of Perm announced its verdict in the case involving Boris, Aleksandr, Viktor, Igor, and Yuriy. Igor was given a seven-year suspended prison sentence. The remaining four brothers were given two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentences.

Boris Burylov

• Born: 1941 (Sevastopol)

• Biography: Raised in the Perm Territory. Earned a degree in agronomy. As a child, his mother would read portions of the Bible to him. In the 1990’s, obtained a complete Bible. Baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1996

Aleksandr Inozemtsev

• Born: 1972 (Kostanay)

• Biography: Served in the army. Has worked as an electrician, an auto mechanic, and currently works in building maintenance and remodels apartments. After reading the Bible and studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses, he found satisfying answers to why people face injustice and death. Baptized in 1996. Married his wife, Olesya, in 2017. Together they are raising her young daughter. Enjoys drawing, playing hockey, and fishing

Viktor Kuchkov

• Born: 1967 (Svetlitsa)

• Biography: Has loved wood carving since childhood. Trained as a metal processing engineer and has also worked as a design engineer. Enjoys fishing and playing volleyball. Married his wife, Tanya, in 1988. They have one daughter. Spiritual topics have always interested him. In 1993 he was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Igor Turik

• Born: 1968 (Nelidovo)

• Biography: Works as both a photographer and an architectural designer. In the 1990’s, he began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Appreciated the Bible’s internal harmony. Baptized in 1998. Married in 2002 and has a son and a daughter. His interests include photography, videography, and radio electronics

Yuriy Vaag

• Born: 1975 (Lesosibirsk)

• Biography: Was trained as a crane operator. Now works as an electrician and with building maintenance. While serving in the army, his sister introduced him to the Bible. Seeing the positive changes that applying Bible teachings had on her moved him to study the Bible. Was baptized in 1996. Married his wife, Svetlana, in 1996. They have a son and daughter

On September 17, 2018, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and other special troops carried out mass raids in the Perm Territory. At least ten of our brothers’ homes were searched. During the search, the officials seized money, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. Viktor and Igor were detained for several days and then placed under house arrest for nearly four months. Currently, they are all under various recognizance agreements. Their names have been added to Russia’s list of “extremists.”

Each of these brothers continue to display remarkable courage and are maintaining their joy despite the challenges.

Yuriy relates that he now prays to Jehovah more frequently. He also meditates regularly on the ways Jehovah supports and strengthens him. He shares: “The words of Joshua 1:7 help me to be calm. I found guidance in these words that I needed to follow. I could sense that Jehovah was helping me and caring for me.”

Viktor notes that meditating on Jehovah’s organization helped him to remain calm during his trial. He comments: “I tried to imagine Jehovah’s greatness, the visible and invisible parts of his organization, our great brotherhood, the scale of the preaching work, and the beauty and logic of the truth. It all helped me not to focus on myself. Everything immediately became calmer.”

After returning home, Igor found humor in some of his experiences. He recalls: “While in the detention facility, my daughter drew a picture of the new world to encourage me. The officials would not allow the drawing through. My wife said the prison staff looked at the picture for a long time and then returned it to her, stating: ‘We cannot accept this. It looks like an escape plan.’” He continues: “Well, the new world [is our] ‘escape plan’ from this wicked system!”

We are confident that Jehovah will continue to use his holy spirit to assist these brothers and their families. We know that Jehovah will always provide the strength they need.—Ephesians 3:20.