Russian coronavirus-denying monk given prison sentence

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — A court in Moscow has convicted a monk who denied the coronavirus’ existence and castigated the Kremlin on accusations of encouraging suicides. The court sentenced  Father Sergiy to 3½ years in prison. He was arrested in December 2020 on charges of inciting suicidal actions through sermons in which he urged believers to “die for Russia.” He rejected the accusations. The 66-year-old monk denied the existence of the coronavirus when the coronavirus pandemic began and denounced government efforts to stem the pandemic as “Satan’s electronic camp.” He has spread the long-debunked conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and described the coronavirus vaccines being developed against COVID-19 as part of a purported global plot to control the masses via microchips.