In Kazakhstan, a former Russian Orthodox priest was sent to a psychiatric hospital
In Kazakhstan, former Orthodox priest Iakov Vorontsov, who spoke out against Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, was forcibly sent for treatment at a psychiatric facility for intensive observation.
This was officially reported by representatives of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law (KIBHR).
The transfer took place despite an appeal filed by the defense against the investigative court’s decision.
Human rights activists noted that the prisoner was transferred to a specialized facility in the village of Aktas in the Almaty region on May 22—even before the lawyers’ appeal was considered by a higher court.
Defense attorney Galym Nurpeisov confirmed the information about the transfer to KazTAG journalists.
According to him, the legal team is currently preparing an official complaint to the prosecutor’s office regarding a gross violation of procedural norms.
Representatives of the KMBPCH emphasize that in making this decision, local authorities violated key provisions of the country’s current legislation.
To forcibly place a citizen in such a facility, the judicial authorities must simultaneously establish the presence of a confirmed mental illness and a real danger posed by the individual to themselves or those around them.
However, in the case of the former clergyman, these mandatory requirements were not properly met.
As stated by the KMBPCH, “the forensic psychiatric examination did not unequivocally confirm the presence of a mental disorder in Vorontsov, and no evidence was presented that he poses a threat.”
Furthermore, according to the defense, the relevant motion by the investigative body was considered in closed session without the direct participation of Vorontsov himself or his legal counsel.
The Republican Psychiatric Hospital in Aktas is the largest facility of its kind in Kazakhstan, where individuals deemed not criminally responsible in criminal cases are typically sent.
Iakov Vorontsov previously served for a long time in the ranks of the Russian Orthodox Church.
After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he openly condemned the Kremlin’s aggression and criticized the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, which supported the actions of the occupying forces, resulting in his defrocking in 2023.
Subsequently, he announced his intention to establish an Orthodox community in Kazakhstan independent of the Moscow Patriarchate and attempted to register it under the auspices of the Patriarchate of Constantinople; however, the Kazakh Ministry of Justice denied the registration.
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