Biography
Darya Petrochenko, chief specialist at the Ingushetia representative office to the President of the Russian Federation in Moscow, faced criminal prosecution for her faith in Jehovah God. In December 2024, searches were carried out at the homes of Darya and her mother. The believer was placed in a pretrial detention center. A year and a half later, the court sentenced her to 5 years' imprisonment.
Darya was born in March 1992 in the Moscow region. Her father is an engineer by profession, and her mother is a merchandiser. Darya has an elder brother on her father's side.
The girl graduated with honors from college with a degree in secretary-assistant with knowledge of English. Then she received two higher educations in the specialties of "lawyer" and "translator".
Back in the early 1990s, shortly before Darya was born, her mother met Jehovah's Witnesses. In Darya's heart, biblical truths resonated, the love for which her mother instilled in her from childhood. In 2010, the girl was baptized.
As a child, Darya enjoyed playing active games, riding a bicycle and roller skates, and traveling. Before her arrest she also led an active life — she played sports, loved swimming, traveled, and improved her German and Spanish language skills.
Her relatives, friends, and colleagues do not understand why such a peaceful and responsible young woman received such a harsh sentence. They support her in every possible way.
“The judge asked if I regret what I did. I can say for sure that I do not,” Darya stated in her final plea. “I know my motives. I really wanted to support a person who supposedly lost a loved one. I did not ask her for anything, I did not offer her anything . . . I did not cause any harm to her or to the constitutional order.”