A court in Slavyansk-on-Kuban extended the arrest of Hieromonk Ilya Sigida.
The Slavyansk City Court extended the house arrest of Hieromonk Ilya Sigida, accused of desecrating symbols of military glory through online publications, until March 20.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," a court in Slavyansk-on-Kuban in December 2025 deemed Ilya Sigida's (Hieromonk Jonah) publication about Putin to be disrespectful of the state and fined him 40,000 rubles. By the end of December, Sigida had received four fines totaling 155,000 rubles in cases of disrespect for the state and discrediting the army. He decided not to appeal the fines, citing his religious beliefs. At the end of January, Sigida's house arrest was extended by a month, and a parishioner of the church where Sigida lives was searched.
On November 27, 2025, masked security forces took Archbishop Viktor Pivovarov of the Russian Orthodox Church, along with monetary donations and documents, from the church, and then took his assistant, Ilya Sigida, with them. Sigida's mother was informed that he was being detained on charges of discrediting the army. On November 28, he was released under house arrest. Parishioners reported that after his arrest, Sigida was wearing a torn cassock and had his head shaved, and Sigida's mother described her son's condition as depressed.
On January 23, the Slavyansk City Court of the Krasnodar Territory granted the investigator's motion to extend the house arrest of Hieromonk Jonah (Ilya Sigida) for another month, until March 20, parishioners and priests following the case told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
During the court hearing on February 23, the investigator justified the need to extend the house arrest by citing the fact that forensic examinations in the case had not yet been completed and not all witnesses, whom Sigida could allegedly influence while at large, had been questioned. Ilya Sigida again did not object to the extension of his arrest or the charges. He had previously fully admitted guilt in the incriminated acts. Neither the defense nor he himself intends to appeal this court decision, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reported.
According to case materials provided to the "Caucasian Knot" by a court source, Ilya Sigida, a native of Slavyansk-on-Kuban with no prior criminal record, is charged under the article on the rehabilitation of Nazism via the internet (Part 4 of Article 354.1 of the Russian Criminal Code) in connection with the administration of the online resource "Eschatology"—a website that was destroyed after the hieromonk's arrest. The article charged against Sigida carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
According to investigators, in September 2023 and between 2020 and 2025, he posted two opinion articles on the website, titled "The Cult of War" and "On Idolatry—Chip Chips, Passports, Biometrics, and More." In these texts, investigators found "information about Russia's Day of Military Glory expressing clear disrespect for society," as well as negative assessments of the May 9 celebration. The investigation specifically emphasizes that the publications contained offensive statements about symbols of military glory, including the "Motherland Calls" sculpture and the St. George ribbon. Separate criminal cases were opened in November 2025 and were immediately combined into a single proceeding.
Under the terms of the preventive measure, the accused is prohibited from leaving his place of residence (an exception is provided for the need to visit a medical facility), using the internet or any means of communication, and communicating with participants in the criminal proceedings.
The Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation allows for house arrest for a suspect or defendant for up to two months. If necessary, if the preliminary investigation is not completed, the court may extend this period to six months, noted lawyer Sergey Volynin, who is not involved in Sigida's case.
Extending house arrest beyond six months is possible for those accused of serious and especially serious crimes, only in cases of particular complexity and if there are grounds for doing so, he added. "The court can extend the period of detention for up to a year," Volynin explained, noting that the actions imputed to the hieromonk are classified as medium-gravity crimes.
According to parishioners, Hieromonk Jonah, living at the church, continues to care for the seriously ill priest Viktor Pivovarov. "Vladyka Viktor's condition is deteriorating; he's practically bedridden. Hieromonk Jonah is providing his full care at his residence and the church," said parishioner Valery.
The "Caucasian Knot" reported that in 2023, Archbishop Viktor Pivovarov of the Russian Orthodox Church was charged with discrediting the army. The charges stemmed from his article condemning the fighting in Ukraine. Pivovarov linked his criminal case to his message to the faithful. The priest was fined 150,000 rubles. Pivovarov denied his guilt, but he declined to appeal the fine.