Forced Labour Completed: Vitaliy Manuilov Released

On May 15, 2026, Vitaliy Manuilov, 53, was released from a correctional center in Barnaul after completing his term of forced labor. His elderly mother, wife, daughter and two grandchildren were "counting the hours" until his return. Vitaliy himself says he is happy that he managed to "serve the entire sentence with dignity."

The believer carried out his forced labor at the "Melanzhist Altaya" textile combine, in the preparatory weaving department. Vitaliy worked there as a general worker, unloading and transporting bobbins of yarn. "I did the best I could—worked double shifts, sometimes throwing as much as 13 tons of yarn per shift," he said. "At first my strength was there, but then the fatigue built up... My body didn't have time to recover—my arms and legs started to hurt." In addition to his factory work, Vitaliy helped with maintenance and improvement of the buildings and grounds of the correctional center.

He was highly valued at the enterprise. A forewoman with more than 40 years of experience said that in all that time she had never seen anyone work as diligently or be as reliable as Vitaliy. One of the company's directors noted that Manuilov would be remembered as a good worker and added that they would be happy to take him back if he wished.

Vitaliy's criminal prosecution began in the summer of 2023, when his home was searched and he was interrogated in connection with the case of Valeriy Klokov. Later, Vitaliy was charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. In November 2024, the court sentenced him to two years of forced labor. He had been held in the correctional center since March 2025.

In Altai Territory, at least 12 believers have become defendants in "extremism" cases because of their convictions; three of them are already serving their sentences in penal colonies.