Romanov, as well as his assistant Vsevolod Moguchev, were found guilty under art. 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for inciting hatred and enmity. Taking into account the first sentence, the former confessor of the Sredneuralsk monastery received 7 years in a general regime colony. The court appointed Moguchev summarizing the punishments: 5 years in prison. According to investigators, Moguchev posted videos of Romanov’s sermons on the Internet, in which, the investigation found, hatred of Jews and Muslims was expressed.
Prior to this, the Izmailovsky District Court found the former clergyman guilty of arbitrariness, violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion, as well as incitement to suicide. According to this sentence, he received 3 years and 6 months in prison. Shiigumen Sergius found himself at the center of a scandal after sermons in which he denied the existence of the COVID-19 pandemic and declared covid restrictions illegal.
Shiigumen Sergius was banned from serving at the end of May 2020 after violating the ban on preaching. He was later expelled by an ecclesiastical court for violating the priestly oath. The diocese ordered him to leave the convent, but he continued to serve there. The metropolis called the situation in the monastery a capture. On December 29, 2020, Sergiy Romanov was detained at night in the Sredneuralsky Monastery. He was taken to Moscow, where, by court decision, he was placed under arrest in a pre-trial detention center.
