Russian Orthodox Church suspends priest for leading Putin critic Alexei Navalny's memorial service

The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has taken disciplinary action against a Russian priest who conducted a memorial service for Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of the Kremlin. Patriarch Kirill, known for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has issued a decree suspending Priest Dmitry Safronov from performing certain religious duties for three years.

Additionally, Safronov has been demoted and reassigned to a different church in Moscow. The decree, dated April 15 and made public on Tuesday, outlines these sanctions in response to Safronov's involvement in conducting a memorial service at Navalny's gravesite 40 days after his death.

"At the end of the period of penance, on the basis of feedback from the place of obedience, a decision will be made on the possibility of his further priestly service," it said.

The Russian Orthodox Church has not provided an explicit rationale for its decision.

Alexei Navalny, who was one of Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics over the past decade, passed away in a Siberian penal colony in February. He was serving a lengthy sentence on charges of "extremism," which many interpreted as retaliation for his opposition to the Kremlin.

The Russian Orthodox Church has historically supported Putin and his policies. It has aligned itself with the government's conservative agenda, endorsing measures such as the crackdown on LGBTQ rights. Additionally, the Church has backed the military actions in Ukraine.