A 71-year-old Jehovah’s Witness was denied release despite having several serious illnesses.

The Rasskazovsky District Court (Tambov region, central Russia) has refused to release Anatoly Marunov, a 71-year-old Jehovah’s Witness, despite his having several serious health conditions. This was reported by the Jehovah’s Witnesses portal.

Marunov has hypertension and heart failure, as well as a prostate tumour. He has suffered an ischaemic stroke. In January, he was fitted with a cystostomy—however, Marunov’s device has not been replaced as required, creating a risk of internal organ atrophy. Finally, the imprisoned man needs surgery that cannot be carried out in the Tambov region. His family has found a clinic in Moscow, but the standard procedure for prisoner transfer is not suitable for Marunov. “His illnesses make it unbearable to remain in the penal colony due to constant physical suffering. There is a high likelihood that he will not survive his remaining sentence,” said the prisoner’s lawyer.

At Penal Colony No. 3 in Tambov region, where Anatoly Marunov is being held, he is not receiving the medical care he needs. The prisoner’s wife, Alfiya, said: “Once his temperature rose to 40 degrees, but nobody responded. His cellmates put him on a stretcher themselves, carried him to the medical unit, and demanded that an ambulance be called.”

Marunov has lost 20 kilograms during six months in the colony, his family notes. His wife said: “When I saw him, I was terrified. He was covered in tubes, catheters, bags… He’s not even a person anymore but a living corpse. When he left, he was a handsome man, but now…”

The reason for the refusal to release him was an oral reprimand. According to the colony staff, Marunov incorrectly compiled an inventory of the contents of his bag. However, he was not informed about what the specific mistake was. The reprimand was issued two weeks after his lawyer petitioned the court to have Marunov’s sentence replaced.

In July 2023, the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow handed down sentences to Anatoly Marunov and two fellow believers. Marunov was given six and a half years in a penal colony under the article on organising the activities of an extremist organisation (Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code).

The case against the believers was opened in October 2021. At that time, searches were carried out at at least eight Jehovah’s Witnesses’ flats in Moscow and one house in the Moscow region. Before sentencing, Marunov was under house arrest.