Kuban priest Victor Pivovarov detained by law enforcers

After a search, law enforcers have detained Victor Pivovarov, a priest from the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, who had earlier been fined for discrediting the Russian Army. His assistant Ilya Sigida was arrested for two days for disobeying law enforcers' demands.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Slavyansk City Court had fined Victor Pivovarov, the Archbishop of Slavyansk and Southern of the Russian Orthodox Church, for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. Pivovarov has confirmed that he said words during a sermon in the cathedral that the court treated as discrediting the Russian Army.

Before the detention, law enforcers conducted searches in the Saint Intercession and Tikhon Church, the "Kavkaz.Realii"* project has reported with reference to Pivovarov's assistant Yona (Ilya Sigida). According to Yona, law enforcers exerted physical pressure on him; then he spent a night at the SIZO (pre-trial prison); and the next day he was taken to court. Sigida was accused of resisting law enforcers and refusing to provide documents. However, according to his version, his passport was taken away in the very first minutes. The court found him guilty of disobedience and arrested him for two days.

The assistant has already returned to the temple, but still does not know about Victor Pivovarov's whereabouts.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.