Independent priest and peace advocate hit with drug den case

The controversial arrest of Almaty’s anti-war priest Iakov Vorontsov / Photo: Facebook.com/iakov.voroncov photo editor: Serikzhan Kovlanbayev

An investigative court in Almaty has authorized the two-month pretrial detention of former Kazakh clergyman Iakov Vorontsov, his lawyer, Galym Nurpeissov, said.

Vorontsov faces charges of organizing a drug den and possessing illegal substances. The Almaty City Court’s press service declined to comment, citing investigative secrecy.

Background and public profile

Vorontsov gained national attention in February 2022 after signing an open letter calling for peace in Ukraine alongside other Orthodox clergy.

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He was suspended from ministry in 2023 and formally defrocked in 2024.

Previous investigation closed

Also in 2024, authorities opened a criminal case against Vorontsov under Article 141 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, which covers incitement of ethnic hatred. The investigation was later closed due to a lack of evidence.