Aleksey Khabarov Released After Serving More Than Two Years in Penal Colony for “Wrong” Religion

When prisoner of conscience Aleksey Khabarov appeared at the gates of the penal colony, he was greeted with applause by family and friends — more than 40 people. The 50-year-old believer from Pskov fully served his sentence on January 16, 2026. He spent most of his term in Penal Colony No. 4 in the city of Valday, and the last 6 months in Penal Colony No. 9 in the settlement of Parfino.

Aleksey described life in the colony as monotonous, like "Groundhog Day." What brightened his days was correspondence with caring people — by the time of his release, he had received more than 2,300 letters. In his free time, Aleksey conducted sports competitions, including chess. His parents could not visit him because of the long distances, so he is grateful to friends who came to see him, some traveling hundreds of kilometers.

While in prison, Aleksey, like dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses convicted across the country, faced additional pressure. He was placed in a punishment cell several times and given reprimands. Once — for swapping jackets with another inmate because the one issued to him didn't fit. "When they sent me to solitary confinement and when there were reproaches from the administration, I reminded myself who I am and why I am here, and I saw it all as attacks on my faith," Aleksey said about what helped him.

The court considered Khabarov's case three times. At the first hearing, he was given a suspended sentence; the second time, Judge Aleksey Nikitin acquitted him; but in October 2023, his colleague Natalia Kapustina nevertheless sent the believer to a penal colony.