Ilya Sigida refused to appeal the fines.

THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC, OR CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC.

Hieromonk Ilya Sigida decided not to appeal four fines, citing religious beliefs.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," a court in Slavyansk-on-Kuban considered Ilya Sigida's (Hieromonk Jonah's) publication about Putin to be disrespectful of the state, imposing a fine of 40,000 rubles on December 18. Three more administrative protocols have been filed against Viktor Pivovarov, assistant to Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, two under the same article and one for discrediting the army. The Investigative Committee reported on the case involving two counts of rehabilitating Nazism. On December 25, it was reported that Sigida was fined 120,000 rubles for disrespecting the state and discrediting the army.

Hieromonk Jonah (Ilya Sigida) refused to sign and submit complaints against four court rulings; parishioners helped him prepare the complaints. He cited his religious beliefs as the reason for his refusal, refusing to respond to the authorities' aggression against believers. The deadline for appealing the court rulings expired on January 3, Tatyana Sigida, the mother of the priest, who is under house arrest, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

On December 29, the court held Sigida administratively liable for the fourth time, fining him 35,000 rubles. Thus, the total amount of all fines the court ordered him to pay has increased to 155,000 rubles, the hieromonk's family reported.

Tatyana told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he was not present at the first and last court hearings, and they still don't know the reason for the new fine. "I was in court on December 29, 30, and 31, but no one ever gave me the decision. We don't know why exactly he was sentenced to another 35,000 rubles," she said.

The case file on the Slavyansk City Court's website indicates that a ruling was issued on December 29 imposing an administrative penalty in case No. 5-210/2025. The court found Iona Sigida guilty under Part 3 of Article 20.1 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses (petty hooliganism). This article penalizes the dissemination of information online that is expressed in an indecent manner and insults human dignity and public morality, as well as expresses clear disrespect for society, the state, or government bodies. The penalty under this article is a fine of 30,000 to 100,000 rubles. The decision has not been published on the court's website.

Tatyana said that the lawyers had prepared appeals against all four rulings, but Ilya refused to sign them. "He said he didn't see any point in it and wouldn't appeal," she explained.

The church's parishioners believe that both the administrative fines and Sigida's criminal prosecution are politically motivated and related to his pacifist stance.

"The calls for peace that Hieromonk Jonah published on the church's website are the very essence of the Orthodox faith. The fact that he is being tried for his faith is already political," says Sergey.

According to him, "Ilya Sigida is in a grave psychological state." "I know he's depressed. First of all, he was beaten." "Secondly, the invasion of the church, the searches, and the confiscation of personal belongings and documents—this is a profound trauma for a young man who lived by faith. Now he doesn't want anything, he just prays. No complaints. There are complaints, but he doesn't intend to sign them. It's impossible to convince him otherwise," said a parishioner who helped the family find lawyers.

The priest's mother noted that Bishop Viktor Pivovarov, whom Sigida cares for, also supports her son's decision to abandon the appeal of the fines. The bishop himself, according to her, is also in serious condition due to his age, health, and constant repression.

09:16 25.07.2024

Priest Viktor Pivovarov managed Defend the church from the authorities' attempts to demolish it

The court's decision to deny the demolition of the church in Slavyansk-on-Kuban has entered into force. The appeal deadline for the authorities, who had previously demanded the church's demolition, has passed.

A "Caucasian Knot" correspondent contacted independent attorney Timur Filippov, who is not involved in Ilya Sigida's case, for clarification. According to him, multiple administrative fines in the presence of a criminal case are part of an established repressive practice. "This is not a mistake or chaos, but a completely deliberate tactic. "Administrative cases are used as a tool of pressure, not as a means of punishing specific offenses," the lawyer explained.

According to Filippov, such cases serve several purposes at once: they create the image of a "systematic violator," worsen the defendant's procedural position, and exert psychological and financial pressure on them. "Legally, this appears absurd—the same statements are being divided into different offenses. But in political cases, the question of legality has long since faded into the background," he noted.

The lawyer also pointed out that the practice of holding individuals accountable for publications made before the adoption of relevant laws formally contradicts the Constitution, but this is ignored in such cases.

Responding to a question about the possibility of endless fines, Filippov emphasized that administrative offenses can "resurface" as many times as necessary. "This isn't justice, but control and exhaustion," he said.

Commenting on the situation with paying fines, the lawyer noted that the courts understand that a person under house arrest with no means of earning money cannot pay them. "This is the cynical part of the scheme. Failure to pay fines is used as an additional negative factor and a pretext for further sanctions," Filippov explained.

At the same time, he emphasized that, despite the pressure, the legal meaning of appealing administrative decisions remains. "It always makes sense to appeal administrative cases," the lawyer stated.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that Hieromonk Jonah (Ilya Sigida) of the Russian Orthodox Church was also fined 30,000 rubles in November 2023. The Slavyansk-on-Kuban court deemed his article defamatory of the Russian army.

The Russian Orthodox Church (RosOC) is a religious association of non-canonical Orthodoxy of the Russian tradition, operating in Russia and the former USSR. It does not have Eucharistic communion (joint celebration of liturgies) with the Moscow Patriarchate or with any of the local Orthodox churches, according to the Modern Russian Encyclopedia.