Priests report on Russia's persecution of Evangelical Americans in Ukraine

Priests report on Russia's persecution of Evangelical Americans in Ukraine

kyjiw, Ukraine-CNN reports on Pastor Dmytro Bodyu, who explains that Russian troops accused him of being an American spy, especially an agent that was paid by the US government to spread anti-Russian propaganda in occupied areas of Ukraine. Bodyu, who founded the evangelical “word of life” in Melitopol, reported that he was told that all Protestant and Catholic churches worked with the American secret service and its pastors work for the US government because the Protestant Church was not a real church.

the arrest of the pastor

On March 19, 2022, about fifteen armed men stormed in Bodyus Haus. He was arrested in front of the frightened eyes of his wife and son and brought to a local police station, where he was put in a small cell and threatened with execution. He was released after eight days, but the threats and harassment continued. Bodyu received an ultimatum: In order to continue preaching, he had to cooperate and pass on personal information about his community members to the Russian authorities.

the brutal repression

The pastor refused to do so and was finally forced to leave the occupied city of Melitopol. His community was strongly decimated and the church was closed, part of a brutal repression against Ukrainian religious communities, which are not associated with the Russian Orthodox Church, also known as Moscow Patriarchy. Since the beginning of the full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has imprisoned numerous Ukrainian religious leaders in occupied areas.

reprisals against religious leaders

Ukrainian authorities are increasingly suspicious of people with connections to the Russian Orthodox Church and have arrested clergymen for Moscow for espionage. US organic representatives, including the US ambassador to Ukraine, have asked the Ukrainian government and religious leaders to respect the religious freedom of all individuals. CNN spoke to six religious leaders of various Christian denominations from current or formerly occupied Ukrainian cities, which reported that they were accused by the Russian authorities to be American spies or to spread propaganda. Most of them suffered physical abuse, some even sexual assault, and they were told that their religious affiliation is reason for their detention.

destruction of religious sites

The repression concerns not only individuals and communities, but also religious sites. Evidence from liberated areas and satellite images show that Russian troops destroyed numerous religious sites, looted and desecrated monuments, churches and monasteries in the occupied areas. According to the Center for Information Resilience, around 158 religious sites were destroyed or damaged within the first two years.

war against religion

International legal experts and Ukrainian prosecutors have stated that religious persecution in Ukraine is war crimes. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to inquiries about these allegations. In a clear sign of oppression, Bohdan Heleta, a priest of the Ukrainian-Greek-Catholic Church, was held in Russian detention for more than 19 months. He and his fellow priest Ivan Levitsky were kidnapped by masked men with rifles in Berdiank and suffered torture and blows during their detention.

The systematic violations

The repression against religious groups in Ukraine seems to be part of Moscow efforts to "Russify" the occupied areas. Freedom of the practice of religion is severely restricted in Russia, despite the guarantees in the constitution. The US government has accused Russia of "systematic, persistent and serious violations of religious freedom". In the areas controlled by the Kremlin, it is considered extremist to take any religious activities outside the state -approved framework.

The choice of believers

Under the Russian occupation, believing Ukrainians are faced with the choice of changing their loyalty and joining one of the approved churches, walking or going underground. A man from a occupied area reported that he and his community of faith continued to pray despite the threats, but after the occupiers had taken over their building, the prayers were increasingly difficult. The church in Melitopol, which was once a flowering community, would gradually be closed, and the pastors were imprisoned.

The torture and the pressure on religious leaders and believers show the brutal methods that Russia uses to consolidate its control over the occupied areas and their population. The atmosphere of fear and the constant threats illustrate the desperate location of those who want to stick to their faith.