Hieromonk John may be being tortured in Russia

ROCOR: Hieromonk John may be being tortured in Russia

Author: Metropolitan Agafangel. Publication date:June 11, 2022. Category: ROCOR .

Disturbing news about Father John Kurmoyarov.

Lawyer Leonid Krikun writes :

“On the morning of June 08, 2022, an agreement was concluded with me to provide legal assistance to ROCOR(A) Hieromonk Father John (Kurmoyarov) in the criminal case initiated against him. Already at 09-30 I got through to the investigator of the Main Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg Luzhetsky, who very politely informed me that he was busy all day, he would not be in the Investigative Committee until the evening, suggested that I arrive at 16-00 to participate in investigative actions with the participation of my client, notified that he would only go to court with a motion to place the accused in custody on the next day - June 09, 2022.

At 3:30 p.m., investigator Luzhetsky answered my phone call that he had postponed the beginning of the investigation with Father John to 7:00 p.m., at 6:45 p.m. in the form of detention, after which he was taken to a pre-trial detention center, after which he said that despite all his efforts, Father John did not want to admit his guilt, asked me to “work” with him, promised to include mitigating circumstances in the case.

Having information about the “methods” of obtaining confessions by the employees of the Investigative Committee and fearing not only for the health, but also for the life of Father John, I immediately made an appointment with him in the pre-trial detention center, but the nearest free place was only on June 10, 2022

At 13-00 on June 10, 2022, when I arrived at SIZO-1 (Kresty-2), I did not find Father John there, the bureau staff answered me with a pass that there was no such thing.

An hour later, the staff of SIZO-6 (Gorelovo) answered me the same way. To my questions about the alleged location of Fr. Prisoners with bruises and incorrect documents are not accepted in SIZO-6, the convoy is forced to take them back to the IVS.

Returning to SIZO-1 (Crosses), I once again demanded to let me in on a meeting with Father John, or to tell where he was. The employees of the Kresty, having checked all the documents for the second time, reported that they did not have Father John, just like in Gorelovo, they suggested that I contact Zakharyevskaya, because. “We don’t accept beaten people until everything is over.”

However, in the temporary detention center on Zakharyevskaya, they also refused me a meeting with my client, saying that they did not have Father John, “he had already left.”

I have a firm conviction that the behavior of investigator Luzhetsky on the first day of “work” with Fr. John, his proposals to me to continue the pressure he started on the accused, as well as the absence of Fr. unlawful methods of investigation and attempts to cover up the traces of this crime.

The initiation of a criminal case against a clergyman for the opinions expressed by him in a sermon, the detention and imprisonment of a priest, sadly, but this has already happened. I really hope that all my other fears will remain as such.

It was the lawyer's opinion. For my part, I really hope that these fears are groundless. Especially in an Orthodox country, where, according to the collection "Russian Nomocanon":

“If anyone reproaches the priest, let the summer be forbidden alone. If he gives him a beating, or if he strikes him with a tree, let it be forbidden for three years, if the priest also forgives his sins ”(Rule 126).

We are waiting for the end of the holidays and a detailed report from the lawyer!

Source

Tags: Russian Orthodox Church , persecution of believers , Russian Federation , John Kurmoyarov