Priest arrested after sermon ‘discredits’ Russian forces

A RUSSIAN priest has been arrested after giving a sermon condemning the war against Ukraine and faces charges of “discrediting” the country’s army.

The priest’s arrest comes amid an unprecedented crackdown on civil society, enabled by a new law that allows police to jail or fine people who question Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

Father Ioann Burdin, of the Resurrection Church in Russia’s western Kostroma region, was detained shortly after his sermon this weekend.

Father Ioann “committed a public offence aimed at discrediting the Russian armed forces which are conducting a special military operation” in Ukraine, according to a police report quoted by the Russian Media Zona website.

He told the parishioners about “Russian troops in Ukraine shelling the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv and killing citizens of Ukraine, brothers and sisters in Christ”, the report said. He faces a court hearing later this week.

Father Ioann’s parish last week posted a link to an online anti-war petition and a statement condemning the Russian invasion.

“We, Christians, cannot stand idly by when a brother kills brother, a Christian kills a Christian,” it said.

“Let’s not repeat the crimes of those who hailed Hitler’s deeds on Sept 1, 1939.” The Russian Orthodox Church, which has close ties to the Kremlin, has in recent days ramped up its rhetoric in support of the war.

Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said the war had a “metaphysical meaning”.

Thousands of people defied the new law at the weekend and rallied against the invasion in dozens of cities across the country.

Police arrested more than 5,000 people, according to OVD-INFO, a human rights group.

Footage from Sunday’s protests showed police violently manhandling some of the protesters.

Several men displayed serious injuries as they were taken to police stations. Later, some of them spoke about beatings in custody.

Novaya Gazeta, a Russia newspaper, yesterday released an audio recording that documented an officer intimidating and beating the feminist activist Alexandra Kaluzhskikh, who was detained in Moscow.

One of the men in the recording is heard telling Ms Kaluzhskikh that she must be “enjoying” getting tasered.

Ms Kaluzhskikh confirmed the authenticity of the recording.

Russian police have not commented on the allegations.