{"id":101655,"date":"2024-08-22T17:07:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T14:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/101655\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"interior-ministry-reports-arrest-of-11-cult-members","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/101655\/","title":{"rendered":"Interior ministry reports arrest of 11 cult members"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Interior ministry)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

August 22, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Police in Belarus have arrested 11 members of the Russian Orthodox Church\u2013Tsarist Empire cult, the ministry’s press office reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cult is not associated with the Russian Orthodox Church, seeks to establish a triune state, denies the existence of Belarus and Russia and seeks to dethrone Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to media reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Investigative Committee charged its members with extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group has operated in Belarus since May 2023 and has about 50 followers, the interior ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“All of them gave up their documents and valuables in favor of the community, believing that it was the Orthodox Church [the dominant denomination in Belarus]. We are looking into reports of fraudulent actions against citizens and their property, incitement to religious hatred and calls for destructive actions and extremism,” the ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It noted that the cult founder, a native of Kazakhstan with two convictions, has been arrested in Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He allegedly promoted a violent coup in 2022 in Russia’s Volgograd province. He was later joined by Russians from other provinces and citizens of some post-Soviet countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cult members settled down in remote villages and used social media and leaflets to recruit new followers, according to the ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recruits had to pledge loyalty to the cult leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interior ministry designated the cult an extremist group on August 15 and announced the decision five days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It named D\u017amitryj Jarmak, Hanna Strukava, Halina Fra\u0142ova, Pavie\u0142 Leva\u0161uk and Volha Bajko\u016dskaja among its members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It accused the cult of grossly distorting the doctrines and practices of the Orthodox Church, opposing society and setting its followers against traditional denominations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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