The Russian Foreign Ministry plans to summon the head of the Czech diplomatic mission in Moscow following the detention of Hilarion Alfeyev in Karlovy Vary. Alfeyev, a retired bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church living in Czechia, was apprehended after Czech police discovered containers with an unspecified substance in his car trunk. The Ministry stated that the Russian Embassy will offer Alfeyev necessary support during this time.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova conveyed that a strong protest will be lodged against the Czech authorities’ actions. Alfeyev, who serves at the Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary, was reportedly arrested on what the Ministry described as “trumped-up charges.” The Ministry condemned the incident as a deliberate provocation aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the Metropolitan and Orthodoxy in general.
The statement released by the Ministry highlighted that a personal search and drug test conducted on Alfeyev and his driver yielded negative results. The Ministry denounced the arrest as a fabricated investigation and demanded Alfeyev’s immediate release. Alfeyev denied any involvement in illegal activities and emphasized his willingness to cooperate with the investigation to clear his name and reputation.
