Parishioners of a Moscow church are asking for the priest to be allowed to see a businessman under investigation.

Rector of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kadashi (Moscow), Archpriest Alexander Saltykov, on behalf of the parishioners to the Human Rights Center of the World Russian People's Cathedral (VRNS). The believers are asking to help businessman Vasily Boyko, who is under investigation, to whom the investigation does not allow him to meet with his confessor.

"The investigation violates Boyko V.V.'s constitutional guarantee for religion. A priest is not allowed to see him, and the wording of the refusal of the investigator D.V. Bardin: "... the meeting may negatively affect the course of the investigation of the criminal case," the appeal says.

The head of the VRNS Human Rights Center, Roman Silantyev, in an interview with Interfax , noted that such appeals are extremely rare, since the GUIN usually meets the needs of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church.

V. Boyko, accused of violating the land legislation, was arrested in February 2007 when he tried to hide from the investigation.

Sources

• The parish of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kadashi asks to protect the rights of its member, entrepreneur Vasily Boyko // Interfax-religion. 2008. April 18.