Unorthodox justice. Two clerics say the FSB tortured them with electric shocks to fabricate a case in the alleged plot to kill “Putin’s confessor”

As the Kremlin seeks to present Russia as a global bastion of traditional Christian values, a shocking case is unfolding in Moscow where two Orthodox clerics allege they were tortured by the state’s own security service.The Federal Security Service (FSB) accuses the men, Nikita Ivankovich and Denis Popovich, of plotting to assassinate a powerful bishop known as “Putin’s confessor” on behalf of Ukraine. According to the investigation, the men hid explosives and (very crudely) forged documents in a park in Moscow. The defence argued in court that the supposed hiding spot was a shallow hole barely scraped into frozen ground.In court testimony, the clerics, two graduates of a prestigious Moscow theological academy and former protégés of bishop Tikhon, claimed this narrative was fabricated, insisting they were forced to confess with electric shocks after evidence was planted on them.As a judge ordered them to remain in pre-trial detention, they gave their first full public account of their ordeal. Mediazona publishes their statements.

Nikita Ivankovich, cleric

I suppose everyone has moments when their life is turned completely upside down. For me, that day was February 12 this year. Early in the morning, I was getting ready for work at the church where I serve when I heard a knock on my front door. I opened it.

The men who came in introduced themselves as security service officers and showed me a search warrant. They began to search my apartment. I was forced to lie face down on the floor and was handcuffed. I had no idea what had prompted any of this.

During the search, however, some strange items were found: a shovel lying under my pillow, with a phone next to it. I was seeing both for the first time. When they asked me what they were, I could only look back at them, puzzled and bewildered, unable to answer.

After this, I was led out of my home. I didn’t know where we were going, but when we arrived, I realised we were in a forest park not far from my apartment. There, in plain sight, I was shown a container in a small hole under a bush. It’s worth noting that it was winter, yet there in a cleared patch of ground was a container holding a juice carton and an envelope.

Footage of me being accused of grave crimes has been shown on television many times, with my face displayed to the entire country. And that, of course, is deeply upsetting, because my guilt has not yet been proven. To have a person accused so baselessly in front of the whole country… it’s not pleasant, to say the least.

I repeat: I was seeing those items for the first time as well. I was still completely bewildered, as no charges had been brought against me yet. Then they took me to the minibus we had arrived in, and the interrogation began. At first, the security officers asked me questions, which I couldn’t answer either way because I had no context for the accusations.

Then they took other measures. I was laid face down on the floor of the minibus, a bag was put over my head, my eyes and nose were sealed with sticky tape, and my hands were tied with something I couldn’t see. Some sort of clips, or some technical device, were attached to me. I couldn’t see the device, but I soon felt what it did.

The questions continued, but now they came with the right answers already suggested. I tried to remain silent, in accordance with Article 51 of the Constitution, and not testify against myself, to at least minimally defend my innocence. But when I gave the wrong answer, I received an electric shock.

My mother and I have a hereditary heart condition. It may not be very noticeable in normal life, but at that moment, I felt my heart rate multiply. I had a panic attack, and I was in pain from the shocks.

It got to the point where I had to choose. Either I follow my self-preservation instinct and give the answers they wanted, thereby testifying against myself, or I suffer serious harm to my health and possibly even die, because there was no telling how long it would go on. I chose the first option. I gave the testimony they wanted, which I’m sure is now in front of you.

The prosecution’s request to keep me in custody mentioned that I lack stable social connections. For 23 years, since I was a child, I have been part of the church. I help in various roles and participate in charitable, patriotic, educational, and missionary projects. My whole life has been in the church, and that has shaped my social circle: connections with the clergy, who are my friends and mentors, and with the parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church, which I have served faithfully for 23 years. These people know me. They can testify that I could have no involvement in what I am accused of.

On top of this, I have spent more than ten years on my theological education. I have good friends and colleagues in academia. So I do have social connections.

It is also claimed that I might obstruct the investigation. Allow me to ask a rhetorical question. Would a person preparing for such a horrific crime continue to go to work, attend public church events, and work in a church where you are in plain sight? And would such a person, at five in the morning, open their door to strangers without any resistance, let them in, and hand over their computer and phone? I think the answer is obvious.

I grew up without a father; my mother raised me, and I thank her for that. Because of this, I was always searching for a mentor, an authority figure. In my youth, during my student years, that person was Metropolitan Tikhon Shevkunov, the man I am now accused of plotting to kill. Vladyka Tikhon is a person to whom I owe a great deal, if not everything: my education, my position, my professional skills. It was thanks to his work that the seminary where I studied was built. He taught me useful skills for life: how to manage my time, how to achieve my goals. And, of course, he guided me in my spiritual life. For me, he was very much a father figure, a moral and spiritual authority.

And now I am accused of attempting to murder this person, who is so dear to my heart. I still cannot comprehend it. For a Christian, violence and murder are unacceptable. I cannot call myself a completely orthodox and good Christian. Of course, we are all sinners; there are few saints and righteous people, but we all strive for holiness. But as someone who professes Christianity and is preparing to serve the church, I could never even conceive of this, let alone take any steps to organise and carry out the evil and insidious plans they attribute to me.

I am an ordinary person, a Muscovite by birth, a patriot of my city and my country. Even now, in custody, I still see my life’s purpose as serving God and people. On the contrary to what has been said, my primary goal now is to assist the investigation in every way possible to establish the truth. Establishing the truth will mean my rehabilitation in the eyes of society, the church, and my family and friends.

I have nowhere to hide. I have one home: the apartment where I was detained, which is next to a police station. Incidentally, I have never been held criminally or administratively liable; I have never broken the law.

Therefore, I support my lawyer’s request to change my pre-trial restrictions. In closing, I want to send my love to my mother and my fiancée. I love you very much and I miss you terribly. Thank you.

Denis Popovich, former aide to Metropolitan Tikhon

Your honour, the court, thank you for allowing me to speak. I, of course, support the appeal. I want to state for the record, once again, that what is happening to us is a farce, an outrage, a theatre of the absurd.

I have never, as I have said before, committed any crime or had any connection to any special services. I have never handled weapons and, based on my religious beliefs, I am opposed to all violence and law-breaking. I am far removed from politics; my calling in life is to serve God. For me, the height of political activity is discussing the news over dinner.

The accusations are especially absurd: that I wanted to harm a dear and truly beloved man who is a spiritual father to me, and a father in many other senses. I worked with him for nearly ten years. During that time, I was his trusted aide and I believe I served him faithfully, helping him in everything. It would be more accurate to say that I lived his life. I tried to be devoted and loyal to him in every way.

We developed a strong, trusting, father-son relationship. He did more for me than anyone. He taught me so much, supported me, and gave me opportunities to develop and work on interesting projects. My life and my prospects depended on him. And now they are trying to paint me as an ungrateful traitor, effectively, a patricide. Is this not absurd?

I was raised in a monastery and decided from childhood to dedicate my life to serving God and the church as a priest. For any Christian, let alone a minister, violence can never be justified. It is, in its essence, unacceptable.

I cannot say or imagine who concocted this terrible story or why, but all the arguments and so-called evidence are complete forgeries and falsifications.

On January 13 and 28, I was unlawfully detained on fabricated charges and sentenced to administrative detention for 15 days on each occasion. Then on February 12, after a month inside, I was taken from the detention centre by unknown masked men. They handcuffed me, laid me on the floor, put a black bag over my head, taped my face, and bound my legs. Then they attached wires to me.

Using electric shocks, they started asking why I wanted to kill Metropolitan Tikhon. I explained that it was complete nonsense, that he was like a father to me, and so on, but at some point, these men began to explain the rules of the game to me. And the rules were as follows: either I answer… That is, they started telling me: “These aren’t questions, they’re statements, so you can only give one answer.”

They threatened me with sexual violence and other things to humiliate me. In the end, they even threatened me with what they termed “liquidation”, saying they would just write a report claiming I had tried to escape. They also threatened my family.

For an hour, they tortured me with electric shocks, dictated a story to me, and forced me to record a video confession. They also forced me to incriminate myself during the official interrogation. An unknown phone was planted in my personal belongings. These same men threatened me with worse if I ever spoke about it.

I thought this sort of thing only happened in the last century, but it seems it happens in our time too. My defence team and I have repeatedly reported the torture and pressure since April, asking for an official investigation, but no action has been taken that we know of.

The video recorded under torture was spread on social media and television. We were named as accomplices of the Ukrainian regime, etc. My name, and Nikita’s, were slandered before the entire country.

Your honour, I am a Ukrainian citizen, but that is no reason to see me as an enemy. I have lived in Russia since 2014. I studied here, graduated from a Russian theological academy, and earned a degree in history. I planned to build my life here. My friends and my entire social network are here. The last time I was in Ukraine was four years ago. Neither I nor my relatives have any connection to the Ukrainian armed forces or special services. My whole life is in Russia.

Although I am in the dock, I hope that the truth will ultimately prevail. My heart still burns with the desire to serve God. Since my name has been defamed across the world, fighting for the truth in this case has become a matter of honour. I guarantee I will appear before investigators at the first request. I have no intention of obstructing the investigation. I don’t know any witnesses, nor could I. What witnesses could there be in a fabricated case?

Regarding my living situation, it’s true I only have temporary registration, as I received my residence permit last December. However, at the Sretensky Monastery, where I used to live, my accommodation is still available for me if a different pre-trial measure is chosen. I am not officially employed, but I have enough income to support myself.

I believe that is all. Thank you for your attention, and I ask you to change the pre-trial measure. Thank you.

Their requests were denied.

Editor: Dmitry Treschanin