Former Priest Iakov Vorontsov Reportedly Detained in Kazakhstan

Ex-priest Iakov Vorontsov may have been detained. He is known for calling for a split from the Russian Orthodox Church and for publicly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Orda.kz reports.

Journalist Daniyar Moldabekov reported the detention on his Telegram channel.

«Iakov Vorontsov has been detained. According to my information, security forces (presumably the police) broke into his home at night, conducted a search and took him to a police department’s temporary detention facility. I will keep you updated as more information becomes available,» he wrote 

Orda.kz’s editorial team requested a comment from the Almaty Police Department, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

It should be noted that Iakov Vorontsov openly condemned the war in Ukraine, for which he was stripped of his status as a priest. But the prosecution did not end there. A criminal case was opened against him, and he was under investigation for a year and a half. Ultimately, in May, the charges were dropped.