New Verdict Against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Moscow Region: Suspended Terms Ranging from 2 to 6 Years

On April 14, 2026, the Taldomskiy District Court of the Moscow Region gave Galina Inkina, 72, and Dmitriy Mladov, 44, suspended sentences for 2 and 6 years respectively.

Galina was born in the Urals into a large family. For more than 20 years she worked as a laboratory technician at a glass factory, and later as a social worker and a cafeteria attendant. She was forced to leave her job after undergoing cancer treatment. Dmitriy grew up in Kandalaksha on the coast of the White Sea. As a child, he was deeply impressed by the nature in the north of the Kolsky District, in which he saw evidence of God's existence. This sparked his desire to read the Bible.

In December 2024, criminal cases were initiated against both believers on suspicion of extremism. On the same day, Galina's home was searched. She later recalled: "I was terribly frightened, I was shaking with fear and couldn't speak. They made me face the wall and threatened me — this went on for 2 hours. Then they took me to Dmitrov for interrogation. I was placed alone in an office, nothing was explained to me, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I stayed there without food or water." As a preventive measure, she was made to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. "My veins were bulging, my legs turn blue and swell up by evening, and the tracking bracelet is digging into my leg," Galina said, describing what she had to endure.

Dmitriy was detained in Novorossiysk while traveling by car with his wife and was sent to a pretrial detention center in the Moscow Region. He described the conditions in one of the detention facilities as follows: "The cell was in a semi‑basement, with a small window near the ceiling, from which sometimes only someone's legs could be seen, as well as dogs and rats running by. The cell, designed for eight people, measured 14 square meters." He was granted his first visit from his wife only after 6 months of separation.

In their final statements, the believers expressed their views on what was happening. "I did not insult or rob anyone, steal anything, or kill anyone. The case file contains positive character references about me from local police inspectors," Dmitriy noted. He added that during the year he spent in pretrial detention centers he had no conflicts with other inmates, as he tried to conduct himself in a Christian manner. Galina said: "My entire life is the complete opposite of extremism. I lead a peaceful way of life and respect the laws and the authorities because I am a believer."