Brother Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison—“Determined to Remain Loyal”

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On October 17, 2025, the Kirovskiy District Court of the Samara Region convicted Brother Samvel Babayan and sentenced him to seven years in prison. He remains in custody.

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Samvel Babayan

Born: 1972 (Armenia)

Baptized: 2003

Background: Worked as a carpenter. Married Bella in 2000. They have a son and a daughter

Charged with: Organizing the activities of an extremist organization

Spent 13 months in pretrial detention

Sentence: Seven years in prison

Personal Comments From Samvel’s Wife, Bella a

How have your prayers changed while going through this difficult experience?

During this difficult time, I have gained a greater appreciation for the difference between simple prayer and supplication. Now, in nearly all of my prayers, I am begging Jehovah for his help. Being separated from his family has been very hard on my husband. And the poor conditions in the detention center have taken a toll on his health. So I plead with Jehovah that Samvel find joy, even in these circumstances. Happily, Samvel often tells me that, thanks to Jehovah, he still has strength and is determined to remain loyal no matter what. We are both convinced that the words at Romans 8:38, 39 are true—nothing can “separate us from God’s love.”

We are happy to be among those trusting in Jehovah, confident that he will never abandon us.—Psalm 9:10.

a During the preparation of this article, Brother Babayan was in pretrial detention and it was not possible to obtain his personal comments.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Brother Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison—“Determined to Remain Loyal”

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See Also

Jehovah’s Witnesses Imprisoned for Their Faith—By Location