Priest Gets 14 Years Hard Labor On False Spy Charges
Rev. Kostiantyn Vyacheslavovich Maksimov, a 41-year-old Ukrainian Orthodox Church priest, has been transferred to a labor camp in Russia, 600 miles from his parish, to serve a 14-year sentence on charges of espionage that rights group Forum 18 deems false. Maksimov, who lost his appeal in a closed court session controlled by Russian authorities, was moved from his parish in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, to the Saratov region labor camp in February 2025. His arrest and conviction highlight the pressure that both Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) clergy face under Russian occupation.
Russian forces first detained Maksimov in May 2023, accusing him of using the internet to transmit coordinates of Russian military positions to Ukrainian forces. After being held in Melitopol and later transferred to a prison in Crimea, Maksimov was sentenced in August 2024 by a Russian-controlled court in a closed trial. Although his sentence was reduced by eight months for time spent in detention, his appeal to lessen the punishment was denied, with judges deeming the initial sentence justified.
Maksimov’s case reflects a broader pattern of religious persecution under Russian occupation, with priests and clergy members from both OCU and UOC disappearing or facing pressure to join the Russian Orthodox Church. Maksimov reportedly opposed the merger of the Berdyansk Diocese with the Russian Orthodox Church, a stance that may have contributed to his arrest and subsequent sentencing.
The transfer of Maksimov to a Russian labor camp violates the Geneva Convention, which mandates that civilians from occupied territories must serve their sentences within those territories. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has also documented cases of arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances in occupied Ukraine, noting that many victims are targeted for their religious beliefs or freedom of expression.
This situation is part of a wider crackdown on religious freedom in areas illegally annexed by Russia in 2022. Other priests, including Rev. Stepan Podolchak, an OCU priest who died under suspicious circumstances after being detained by Russian authorities, have also suffered in these regions. Efforts to contact officials at Maksimov’s labor camp have been unsuccessful, with authorities refusing to provide information.