Roman Mareyev after his release
Roman Mareyev after his release
On October 25, 2024, Roman Mareyev, 46, was released, having completely served his sentence for faith. After his conviction, he never ended up in the colony. In total, he spent 1,100 days in three different pre-trial detention centers in Moscow.
A criminal case against Mareyev was initiated in October 2021, at the same time his home was searched. He was placed in a temporary detention facility, then in a pre-trial detention center. When Roman ended up in the pre-trial detention center, he did not have a bed and slept on the floor. The believer's own sister said that it was not easy for him to be in a smoky cell, hear obscene language from his cellmates and try to sleep with the TV working day and night. Reading the Bible, regular physical exercise, and weekly letters from family, friends, and even strangers helped Roman maintain his spirits. "During my years in detention, I received letters from 68 countries, not counting Russia," Roman said.
Roman's elderly parents, who have a disability, were very much looking forward to their son's return home. He himself is glad to be able to take care of them again.
While Mareyev was in detention, he enjoyed showing kindness to others. According to Roman, some inmates admitted that they had never before experienced such a positive atmosphere among cellmates. "This was possible because millions of people were praying," he said.
Roman and his relatives are grateful to everyone who came to the court hearings. "We had to stand outside all day in bad weather, but the guys were ready to make these sacrifices just to meet and see off the paddy wagon with applause," his sister said. "Once the guys were taken out of the courthouse at half past two in the morning, and despite such a late hour, they were greeted with applause."
Two other defendants in the criminal case, Anatoliy Marunov and Sergey Tolokonnikov, are still in custody.
