Court in Samara Sentenced Seriously Ill Believer to Long Term in Penal Colony

On October 17, 2025, Samvel Babayan, 53, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Samara, was given a harsh sentence — 7 years of imprisonment. The believer has already been in custody for his faith for over a year, despite his serious health problems.

"All this year I have received virtually no help [in detention]," Samvel mentioned in his final statement. "I sit in the cell all the time. There are no walks, there is nothing... In this state, if it were not for my faith, if it were not for support from outside, I would have died long ago." The believer has been diagnosed with multiple illnesses of his internal organs, including a tumor. He is in constant pain, especially due to problems with his spine. He described his condition at the time of his arrest as follows: "I could only go to the clinic, the oncology center, and the store — I could not do anything else. I didn't even go out to talk to people, as I used to."

For a long time, Samvel could only communicate with his wife in court and through letters; visits were forbidden. "He used to spend a lot of time with his son and now misses him very much. He really needs the support of his family, but he has been deprived of it," said the believer's wife, Bella. She also talked about what helps Samvel fight the feeling of hopelessness in the conditions of the pretrial detention center: "He eagerly reads the Bible; he read it from cover to cover in 3 months. And letters with words of encouragement and assurances of love help him to see that he is not alone." Samvel was also touched by the care of his friends, who were prepared to stand in line all day long to deliver parcels to him at the detention center, and also helped his family in practical ways.

The criminal case against Babayan was initiated in September 2024, and in May 2025, the Kirovskiy District Court of Samara began considering it. Despite his request to limit the number of sessions due to severe back pain, the court refused to take into account Samvel Babayan's state of health. The prosecutor called this delaying the process, and the court supported his position. Furthermore, during one of the hearings, the believer fell ill — an ambulance was called for him, but the hearing continued immediately after the doctors had examined him. "When I encountered this system from the inside, I was very disappointed. Nevertheless, I will not stop respecting the authorities. I will always respect and obey, because there is someone over everyone who will judge all," Samvel described his attitude to the prosecution.

Since 2017, Jehovah's Witnesses with serious illnesses have repeatedly received prison sentences for their faith, many of them are still in custody. Addressing the court, Babayan mentioned one of them, Valeriy Baylo: "In Krasnodar, my fellow believer, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, died. The investigation into why this happened is still ongoing. I don't understand why it had to come to this?"