His name is Dimitri Safronov and he paid his respects to the deceased man who should not have been honored. This Russian priest conducted the main tribute in memory of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He knew that it was the most perilous gathering of his life. This week, he faced suspension from his position, or rather, he was instructed to undertake three years of “penance”.
In an announcement, the Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church declared on Wednesday that Safronov would be demoted to the role of a psalm reader. Furthermore, he would be forbidden from donning a cross and would be transferred to another church in the Moscow region where he would serve a three-year “penance”. The verdict was not unexpected. Russia has previously retaliated against two journalists who covered the Navalny trials, accusing them of extremism, which is an offense carrying a potential prison sentence of up to six years.
This is not the first instance. Another priest who voiced opposition against the Russian invasion of Ukraine also faced repercussions in an ecclesiastical decree. Numerous Russian priests have been penalized with fines or demotions after signing an open letter against war in 2022. In several cases, they were reported by members of their congregations.
“In the absence of official information, the ban can only be linked to the memorial service held for Alexei Navalny,” denounces Ioann Burdin, a priest who was fined and subsequently expelled for criticizing the war in Ukraine. He stated to EL MUNDO, “We are not reverting to Stalinism, but rather to the German dictatorship of the 1930s”. In his case, it was a Ukrainian parishioner who reported him for advocating peace.
The ‘Safronov file’ does not provide a formal reason for his punishment. However, his ‘crime’ is well-known. Dimitri Safronov recited several memorial prayers, known as ‘panijida’ in Russian, at Navalny’s gravesite and conducted a church service last month to commemorate the 40th day since his death in a remote penal colony located above the Arctic Circle.
What awaits this priest? After his three-year penance concludes, a decision will be made on whether he may face formal expulsion, “depending on the assessment he receives in his new place of service,” as stated in the document.
In a social media post, Yulia Navalnaya, the late opposition leader’s wife, confirmed that Safronov had conducted a memorial service at his grave and urged her followers to donate to Safronov’s family. “I am immensely grateful,” she wrote. “Let’s assist him and his family.”
Russia has persistently persecuted Navalny supporters. Hundreds of individuals were detained during impromptu vigils held across Russian cities in the days following his death.
One of the most prominent cases is that of Antonina Favorskaya, who was arrested last month. She had shared footage of Navalny during a court hearing in mid-February, which turned out to be the opposition leader’s final video before his demise. She faced charges related to her involvement with Navalny’s FBK anti-corruption foundation, which was designated an extremist organization by the Russian government in 2021.