Kostiantyn Maksimov
Additional Name(s): Костянтин Максимов
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Russia
Religion or Belief: Christian – Orthodox
Sentence: 14 Years’ Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: May/16/2023
Date of Sentencing: August/3/2024
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief Religious Expression Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role
Nature of Charges: Espionage
Kostiantyn Maksimov
Extra Bio Info:
Kostiantyn Maksimov is imprisoned for his religious belief.
On May 16, 2023, Russian forces in Russian-occupied Chongar, Ukraine, detained Maksimov, a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as he was trying to cross into Russian-occupied Crimea. The head of the Russian Religious Organizations Department at the Zaporizhzhia Regional Administration's Social and Political Communications and Information Policy Department told Forum 18 that Maksimov had not supported the integration of the Berdyansk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church into the Russian Orthodox Church, which had occurred days before his detainment.
In April 2024, the Russian-installed Prosecutor's Office of the Zaporizhzhia Region announced that Maksimov had been indicted for espionage (Art. 276 RCC) after it accused him of providing the location of Russian air defense systems to Ukrainian Security Services.
On August 2, 2024, the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Regional Court sentenced Maksimov to 14 years in prison for espionage (Art. 276 RCC).
Sources:
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“OCCUPIED UKRAINE: Orthodox priest's 14-year "espionage" jail term” Forum 18
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"OCCUPIED UKRAINE: Espionage trial for "disappeared" Ukrainian Orthodox priest" Forum 18
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"OCCUPIED UKRAINE: Russian occupation forces continue to disappear religious leaders" Forum 18
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Report on the Human Rights Situation in Ukraine: 1 February - 31 July 2023 UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights