Guyanese Sean Pike Released After Five Years in Russian Prison

Guyanese-born Jehovah’s Witness Sean Pike has been released from a Russian prison after serving five years for alleged extremist activity linked to his faith, ending a lengthy incarceration marked by reported harsh detention conditions and his lawyer’s allegations of racial discrimination.

Pike, who was born in Georgetown in 1971 and lived in Russia for more than two decades, was released on October 2, 2026, from Penal Colony No. 9 in Russia’s Novgorod Region, according to reports published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

His case has drawn attention to religious freedom in Russia, as well as allegations about the treatment he experienced while in custody.