Some of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed representatives of law enforcement agencies and judges with an open letter in support of convicted oppositionists

More than a hundred priests of the Russian Orthodox Church from different cities of Russia and the world signed an open letter in defense of convicted participants in protests related to the election of deputies of the Moscow City Duma.

On September 17, 2019, more than a hundred priests of the Russian Orthodox Church from different cities of Russia and the world signed open letter in defense of convicted participants in uncoordinated protests related to election of deputies of the Moscow City Duma (July 27 and August 3, 2019).

« We we appeal to people vested with judicial power and serving in law enforcement structures in our country. Many of you are baptized in the Orthodox Church and consider yourself believing people. Litigation should not be repressive nature, the courts cannot be used as a means of suppressing dissent, the use of force must not be carried out with unjustified cruelty. We express concern that the sentences handed down are more similar to intimidation of Russian citizens than to a fair decision regarding defendants. <…> You can’t build a society on intimidation free, loving people ,” the text says.

" Regarding defendants in the "Moscow case" cause us bewilderment by the verdicts of the court in compared with other, much more lenient sentences that were handed down Russian courts accused of more serious crimes. We believe, that the punishment should be proportionate to the violation of the law, and the authorities impose on additional responsibility, but does not exempt from it. Otherwise In this case, justice itself turns into a mockery and "mass disorder" .

Next the day after the open letter was posted on the Internet, it was commented on by Vakhtang Kipshidze, Deputy head of the Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media. In his opinion, the statement priests is a "political declaration".

He reminded the clergy that " the struggle with authority has never been and never will be the mission of the Church" and that "the shepherd is called educate an incorruptible and faithful to justice judge, an honest law enforcement officer and lawyer so that these people, each acting in his place according to faith and conscience, changed, as far as possible, the world for the better .” " Sign declarations, which strangely mixed political rhetoric and sacred texts, - this is an easy but useless way ,” V. Kipshidze believes.

Later, Vladimir Legoyda reported that the leadership of the Church instructed the human rights center of the World Russian People's Council to study the materials mentioned in open letter of the criminal case. On September 23, 2019, it became known that Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), head of the Synodal Department of External church relations, confirmed that V. Kipshidze, commenting on the letter of the priests, expressed the official ecclesiastical position, and reminded the clergy that all public they must coordinate their speeches with the ruling bishop. Some of the priests who signed the letter, in turn, say that they are already being summoned to the bishops, demanding explanations.

On September 28, 2019 it became known that one of The priests who signed the letter lost their parish.

Sources

• An open letter from priests in defense of prisoners in the "Moscow case" // Orthodoxy and the world. 2019. September 18.
• Orthodox priests ask the authorities to review the sentences of the participants in the recent protests in Moscow // Interfax-religion. 2019. September 17.
• The Russian Orthodox Church called the letter of the priests in support of the protesters a political declaration // There. September 18th.
• The Russian Orthodox Church decided to check the observance of the rights of the defendants in the "case 212" // New Newspaper. 2019. September 18.
• The Russian Orthodox Church reminded the priests that public appeals must be coordinated with the bishop // Interfax-religion. 2019. September 23.
• A priest who signed a letter against the "Moscow case" was suspended from service in Ugra // Mediazone. 2019. September 28.