Moscow pastor Nikolai Romanyuk has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in a labour camp for expressing his opposition to the war in Ukraine.
The 63-year-old church leader was arrested last October after speaking out against the war.
He becomes the first person to be convicted of ‘public calls to implement activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation, or to obstruct the exercise by government bodies and their officials of their powers to ensure the security of the Russian Federation’, for criticising the conflict from a religious perspective.
The Balashikha City Court further imposed a three-year ban on Romanyuk administering websites.
He intends to appeal to the Moscow Regional Court, but his daughter commented, ‘We all understand perfectly well that there will be no fundamental changes.’
(Source: Forum 18)
Pray for peace, courage and hope for Pastor Romanyuk and his family, and that they would remain strong in the Lord at this time.
