Dmitriy Golik, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Blagoveshchensk, Released

On April 15, 2025, a resident of Blagoveshchensk, Dmitriy Golik, left Penal Colony No. 2 in the Amur Region ahead of schedule. Of the 6 years and 2 months imposed on him, the believer served about 4 years in prison, considering the time he spent in pretrial detention. Upon release, Dmitriy was met by his wife, family and friends.

A criminal case against Dmitry Golik was initiated back in July 2018. After 3 years, the court found Dmitriy and his fellow believer, Aleksey Berchuk, guilty of extremism and sentenced them to long terms of imprisonment. Soon the believer was sent to a penal colony, and in the spring of 2023, he was transferred to another colony, located about 150 kilometers from Blagoveshchensk.

"My wife Kristina came to me every week for several years, despite such a distance," the believer said after his release, expressing gratitude to his wife and everyone who supported him, including through letters. Kristina Golik herself was prosecuted for her faith: about a month before Dmitriy's release, the court of appeal upheld the 2.5 years of forced labor imposed on her.

As a prisoner, Dmitriy worked six days a week at a foundry in Belogorsk, a 30-minute drive from the penal colony. His duties included manufacturing molds for pouring metal. Golik has a law degree, but before the verdict he worked in other fields, including as a translator from Chinese. During his imprisonment, his skills became useful unexpectedly: he was an interpreter for a delegation of business partners of a foundry from China.

Dmitriy has earned the reputation not only as a reliable worker, but also as a good person. For some time, the administration was prejudiced against him, but later some employees said: "Dima is the one they loved."