Biography
In September 2020, Denis Peresunko lost his wife Olga who had the same views. She died from the aftereffects of the coronavirus. This tragedy took place against the backdrop of a criminal prosecution against a believer that began in 2019.
Denis was born in March 1978 in Volgograd. He has a younger sister. Denis received the profession of a turner.
Prior to his acquaintance with Bible teachings, Denis had problems with alcohol. At some point, he prayed to God for help. Two days later, Jehovah's Witnesses came to him. His Bible study, which he began with their help, was, in his conviction, the answer to prayer: he was able to cope with his addiction and change his lifestyle.
Now Denis is on disability: he suffered a spinal injury and also suffers from several chronic diseases. The death of his wife exacerbated the stress of the criminal prosecution, which worsened Denis's illness. Relatives who do not share his faith consider the sentence imposed on Denis for his religious views as unmotivated.
Case History
In the spring of 2019, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Volgograd. Sergey Melnik, Igor Yehozaryan, Valeriy Rogozin, and Denis Peresunko were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization; the last two were also charged with financing the activity of an extremist organization. They spent between 5 and 7 months in a pretrial detention center. The lawyers drew the judge’s attention to numerous procedural violations by the investigation. Some witnesses stated that their testimony had been falsified. Secret witnesses were questioned anonymously — according to their own statements, they feared for their life and health. In September 2021, the court sentenced the 4 believers to prison terms ranging from 6 years to 6 years and 5 months. In March 2022, the court of appeal upheld the verdict. In December 2025, Yehozaryan and Melnik were released; in April 2026, Rogozin completed his sentence. The last of the four defendants, Denis Peresunko, was released in June 2026.
