Court in Kostroma Mitigates Restrictions for Young Witness Couple

On January 22, 2019, for the first time in six months, a young couple, Sergey and Valeria Rayman, were allowed to live together, use the phone, and send and receive messages. A court in Kostroma denied the investigator’s claim to extend their restrictive measures. Instead, they were ordered to sign a recognizance agreement. The criminal case against them has not yet been terminated—each spouse could still face up to 10 years in prison.

Sergey Rayman spent 59 days in Detention Centre No. 1 of the Kostroma Region, 30 days under house arrest, and 90 days under restrictions. He was prohibited from leaving the house at night, using the Internet or telephone, receiving mail, and communicating with “persons who profess the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” His wife, Valeria, spent 2 days in custody and another 179 days under restrictions. During this time they could not live a normal life or communicate with each other.