AMERICAN PASTOR ARRESTED IN SAMARA
On Saturday, 9 July, an American pastor, James Francis Malachi, was arrested in Samara for violation visa regulations. This was reported by the clergyman's attorney, Krina Arutyunian, Radio Mayak writes.
James Francis Malachi's attorney said he was arrested by police and a report was drawn up that he violated the tourist visa regulations. The detainee violated federal law No. 115, "On the legal status of foreign citizens in the RF." The American pastor is now threatened with deportation.
The arrest was conducted by personnel of the FSB. At the present time, the clergyman from the United States is in the Soviet district court of Samara, where the measure of punishment will be selected for him. The internal affairs department for the province has still not commented on this incident. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 July 2016)
PASTOR WHO CAME TO SAMARA FROM USA TO
MARRY SAME-SEX
COUPLE TO BE DEPORTED
Gubernskii portal Samara, 11 July 2016
American Pastor James Francis Malachi
must leave the
borders of Russia within a five-day period. This decision was
issued by the
Soviet district court of Samara close to midnight on Saturday.
This was
reported by Interfax with reference to the American's
attorney, Karina
Arutyunian.
In addition, the lawyer said, Malachi
must pay a 2,000
rubles fine.
She considers the decision on
deportation to be
illogical. "On Monday I will write an appeal," the lawyer
said.
According to unofficial information,
the American
pastor came to Samara in order to marry a same-sex couple.
"As I understand it, this man came
here on a
tourist visa and performed a 'wedding,' if one can call it
that, of persons of
a nontraditional orientation. Someone complained about it to
the police
department, who came, checked documents, and confronted
resentment and dismay,
and he (the pastor) was moved to the police department," a
source in the
police department told Interfax.
In her turn, the pastor's attorney
maintains that this
is "absolutely false." "There were no lectures; there were no
weddings—there wasn't supposed to be anything," she declared.
Earlier the attorney reported that
Malachi was
arrested by police on suspicion of illegal missionary activity
in Samara on
Saturday, when he was talking with friends.
"He is charged under part 2 of
article 18.8 of
the Code of Administrative Violations of Law of the RF, that
is, he engaged in
missionary activity in violation of the tourist visa
regulations," the
attorney said. At the same time, she said, the American did
not conduct any
preaching in Samara.
The press service of the Chief Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RF for Samara province refused to comment on news about the arrest of an American pastor. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 July 2016)
USA PASTOR ARRESTED IN SAMARA TO BE DEPORTED
Within the next five days, American Pastor James Francis Malachi, who was arrested earlier in Samara for violation of visa regulations, must leave the borders of Russia and pay a fine of 2,000 rubles. This decision was issued by the Soviet district court of Samara, Interfax reports.
The attorney for the detainee, Karina Arutyunian, reported that she thinks the court's decision about deportation of the American pastor is unreasonable and she intends to file an appeal. According to information from a source in the police department of the province, the pastor arrived in Samara in order to conduct same-sex marriages. Attorney Malachi, in her turn, declared previously that the American citizen flew into Samara in order to meet friends.
"Someone complained about him to the police department, which then arrived, checked his documents, and confronted resentment and dismay," a source in law enforcement agencies said, saying that the clergyman conducted weddings of persons of nontraditional sexual orientation. To this Arutyunian declared that this is "absolutely false."
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