Trial of former priest Iakov Vorontsov to begin September 11 in Almaty

August 31, 2026 at 12:12 PM2 min

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The trial of former priest Iakov Vorontsov will begin on September 11 at the Medeu District Criminal Court in Almaty, his lawyer Galym Nurpeisov told Vlast. The main court hearing has been scheduled for that date. The pre-trial investigation was completed in late August.

Key Facts

The trial of former priest Iakov Vorontsov will begin on September 11 at the Medeu District Criminal Court in Almaty.
Vorontsov's lawyer Galym Nurpeisov confirmed the date to Vlast.
The pre-trial investigation was completed in late August.
Vorontsov was arrested on February 25 and later forcibly sent to a psychiatric facility in Aktas before being returned to a pre-trial detention center in July.
He was defrocked after public political statements, including criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and an initiative to create an independent Orthodox church in Kazakhstan.

Trial Schedule

The main court hearing in the case of former priest Iakov Vorontsov is scheduled for September 11 at the Medeu District Criminal Court in Almaty. Vorontsov's lawyer Galym Nurpeisov confirmed the date to Vlast. The pre-trial investigation was completed in late August.

Case Background

Vorontsov was detained on the night of February 13, and an administrative court in Almaty sentenced him to 10 days of arrest for non-medical drug use. On February 23, after the administrative arrest expired, he was charged under Article 302 (running a drug den) and Article 296 (drug possession without intent to sell) of the Criminal Code. On February 25, an investigative court ordered his arrest for two months. In May, a court forcibly sent Vorontsov to a specialized psychiatric facility in Aktas, but doctors found no mental disorders and he was returned to a pre-trial detention center in July.

Defrocking and Political Statements

Vorontsov was defrocked after making public political statements, including criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He also proposed creating an independent Orthodox church in Kazakhstan. Vlast previously reported on these statements in detail.