The Sophia Brotherhood has prepared and sent an official appeal to international institutions concerning the unlawful detention of the Ukrainian civilian priest Kostiantyn Maksymov. The respective letters were addressed to the United Nations — to the Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine; to the World Council of Churches — to the General Secretary and the Director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs; and to the Conference of European Churches — to the President and the General Secretary, with a request to use their international authority and available mechanisms to protect the priest who is being unlawfully detained by the Russian side.
Today we are addressing you with an urgent and extremely important request concerning the unlawful detention and cruel treatment of Father Kostiantyn Maksymov — a Ukrainian Orthodox priest and a civilian hostage of the Russian Federation.
We are compelled to write to you following the desperate public appeal of his mother, who is seeking international assistance to save her son’s life and secure his release.
Father Kostiantyn Maksymov, a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was arrested in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and subsequently unlawfully sentenced by the so-called “Zaporizhzhia Regional Court” of the occupation authorities to 14 years in a high-security penal colony on fabricated charges of “espionage.”
The actual reasons for his persecution are evident and documented:
- he refused to cooperate with the occupation authorities;
- refused to transfer to the Russian Orthodox Church;
- refused to obtain a Russian passport;
- openly condemned the occupation;
- refused to commemorate Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in prayer.
In other words, Father Kostiantyn has been punished for his faithfulness to his Church, his people, and his conscience. During his detention, he has suffered physical and psychological abuse. According to his lawyer, his health condition is critical: gout, severe joint pain, loss of teeth, and chronic bronchitis. Despite repeated requests, he has been denied proper medical care.
Ukraine has already included Father Kostiantyn on official exchange lists. However, his release requires the Russian Federation to also include him as a civilian detainee.
In this regard, we sincerely ask for your assistance in drawing international attention to his case as a civilian hostage, calling on the Russian side to include him on exchange lists, engaging relevant international and humanitarian mechanisms to ensure priority consideration of his case.
This situation tragically illustrates a broader reality: the Russian occupation authorities persecute and imprison even clergy for their loyalty to Ukraine. At the same time, these real and documented crimes often remain without an adequate international response.
We are convinced that silence in such cases only contributes to further violations of human rights. We kindly ask you to use all available means within your mandate to help secure Father Kostiantyn Maksymov’s release and to prevent irreparable harm to his health and life.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent humanitarian matter and for your solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
NGO “Sophia Brotherhood”,
Ukraine