Yakov Vorontsov

Extra Bio Info:

Yakov Vorontsov is detained for his religious expression and leadership role. 

In February 2026, authorities arrested Vorontsov, a priest of an unregistered Orthodox church, during a midnight raid of his home. Vorontsov had been an outspoken critic of Russia's war on Ukraine, saying it "had nothing in common with Christianity." 

On February 13, Judge Saule Khozhakhmetova sentenced him to 10 days' imprisonment for illegal "use of narcotic drugs" (ACA 440-1). When his sentence ended, Almaty's Investigative Court ordered his prolonged detention as prosecutors pursue criminal charges that he ran a "drug den" in his home where he gathered with his congregation.