Priest Sacked After Backing Khodorkovsky

A Siberian priest who gave spiritual support to Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's erstwhile richest man turned its highest profile inmate, has been sacked for "dragging his parish into politics".

Father Sergei Taratukhin used to visit inmates of the far-eastern penal colony YaG 14/10, where Mr Khodorkovsky is serving seven years for fraud and tax evasion, every week. But in November, immediately after his first meeting with Mr Khodorkovsky, Fr Sergei was barred from the jail after labelling the inmate a "political prisoner".

In February he was sent to a parish even deeper into the Siberian taiga and on Tuesday, after repeatedly criticising the Orthodox church's leadership and voicing support for Mr Khodorkovsky - an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin - the priest was stripped of his robes.

"I've followed [Mr Khodorkovsky's] case from the start," he told the Guardian by telephone. "When I came to see him I expressed my sympathies and, as much as I could, spiritually supported him." Fr Sergei said he had also refused to bless the head of the penal colony's office during his first visit "because they are holding a political prisoner".

A decree from the local bishop stripping Fr Sergei of his robes claimed he was dragging the parish into his support for the prisoner, which was "interference in political activity". He is no longer allowed to perform services or sacraments such as baptism or weddings.

Fr Sergei said the ban had probably been caused by his repeating Mr Khodorkovsky's statement that he had a good relationship with the head of the Russian Orthodox church, Alexei II. The priest said Mr Khodorkovsky "told me he had built churches" for the patriarch, who is loyal to the Kremlin. The priest said Mr Khodorkovsky, who made his money partly from the dubious privatisations of state assets in the 90s, had not repented during their consultations.

Fr Sergei, as Mr Taratukhin, has returned to the city of Chita to look for a job.