A Russian priest has been sentenced to three years in prison for criticizing the invasion of Ukraine
Newsroom (04/09/2023 18:10, Gaudium Press) Father Ioann Kourmoïarov has been sentenced to three years in prison in St. Petersburg, the court said. The priest had criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the internet.
A statement published on Telegram said that the priest had been found guilty of committing an offense and was sentenced to three years in a penal colony. In addition to imprisonment, the priest is banned from speaking online for a period of two years.
Ioann Kourmoïarov is a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. He spoke out on YouTube against the invasion of Ukraine, saying that military intervention is aggression and urged the faithful to condemn the act.
According to the non-governmental organization Amnesty International, which defends human rights around the world, the priest was dismissed from the priesthood on April 1, 2022, and on June 7, he was arrested on charges of spreading false information.
Last February, the European Parliament issued a resolution demanding the release of the priest and all other political prisoners held for opposing Russian intervention.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, few religious authorities have spoken out openly against the Russian decision. Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church and a religious figure for some 150 million people, has urged support for the country’s authorities.
In addition to Father Ioann Kourmoïarov and other prominent personalities who have condemned the invasion, many other citizens have been condemned for protesting or even for sharing messages on social networks. (FM)
With information from AFP
Compiled by Teresa Joseph
