Ilia (Iona) Sigida
Ilia (Iona) Sigida, Krasnodar Krai. Charges: Article 354.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code (Insulting the memory, symbols, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War (committed by a group of…); “Hieromonk Iona's case of insulting the memory of the war”. Status: at large.
In brief
Krasnodar Krai · NULL · Religious figures
Sentence
No information about a verdict.
Preventive measure: ban on certain activities since April 17, 2026
Charges
- Article 354.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code — Insulting the memory, symbols, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War (committed by a group of individuals or using mass media or the Internet)
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, between June 2020 and November 2025, the defendant, while in the town of Slavyansk-na-Kubani, published articles on a website he administered that were accessible to an unlimited audience. These articles criticised the celebration of Victory Day and desecrated symbols of Russia’s military glory. Law enforcement authorities identified the illegal activity, and he was detained by an investigator from the Investigative Committee. The case was prompted by publications on the website "eshatologia.org". In November 2023, Sigida was fined 30,000 rubles (approximately US$400) under an administrative article on discrediting the army (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) because of the posts on the same site.
Latest event
April 17, 2026 — preventive measure: ban on certain activities
Timeline
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
· Persecution begins
Hieromonk Iona's case of insulting the memory of the war
Criminal case
Hieromonk Iona's case of insulting the memory of the war
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Slavyansk-on-Kuban. Hieromonk of the Russian Orthodox Church. In October 2023, law enforcers came to the Russian Orthodox Church temple in which he served, they seized equipment and documents, used force against Sigida, after which he was detained and then fined one thousand rubles under the administrative article on disobedience to the lawful demands of a police officer. In November 2023, Sigida was fined 30 thousand rubles under the administrative article on discrediting the RF Armed Forces (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
On 27 November 2025, law enforcers came to the temple again, they took donations from the cash register and confiscated documents, and Sigida was detained with the use of force. The next day he was placed under house arrest under the criminal article on the rehabilitation of Nazism. The Investigative Committee reported that the reason for the prosecution were articles from the website that Sigida administered. The investigators found criticism of Victory Day celebrations and "desecration of symbols of military glory".
On 17 April 2026, at the request of the investigator, the measure of restraint was changed to a ban on certain actions.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 354.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.