To the evening regarding 21 September, a small grouping of equipped and masked dudes during the Russian otherwise DPR army clothing started to new Ponomaryovs’ house for the automobiles without count dishes. “Seeing brand new military automobile instead of numbers, neighbors reach turn out onto the street to find out just what had taken place,” local Baptists noted on 3 October. “Even so they was ordered to return house rather than ahead aside.”

This new equipped dudes stayed on Ponomaryovs’ domestic for about a few . 5 era. Right now it had been dark, however, “the fresh new neighbours extremely heard groans and you can cries” just like the masked dudes got Leonid and Tatyana internationalwomen.net kig her out “during the a not known assistance”, regional Baptists told you.

To the twenty-two Sep, church professionals attempted to learn the whereabouts out-of Leonid and you may Tatyana Ponomaryov. “However, none following nor with the subsequent weeks you can expect to they get any responses,” local Baptists lamented. An officer of the Russian Indoor Ministry advised family members which they should not care because they might possibly be freed after the latest referendum, which ended on twenty-seven September.

And towards the twenty two September, authorities of Russian occupation forces raided and looked the fresh new Kurchatov street Baptist Chapel, overtaking religious literary works and closing this building, regional Baptists listed.

Other Protestant churches – along with one or more most other Council out-of Places of worship Baptist congregation – will still be capable satisfy to possess worship during the Mariupol. Various other Council out-of Churches congregation kept the Assemble Event worship service on the Sunday 2 Oct “in spite of the latest events”, regional Baptists indexed.

Chapel people identify lost pastor and wife

With the 29 September, several pastors about Russian city of Rostov-on-Wear travelled to Mariupol to try to find out in which Leonid and you may Tatyana Ponomaryov are now being stored and just why these were seized. And additionally Leonid’s aunt Viktor Ponomaryov, they went along to brand new DPR Condition Protection Ministry, army head office, Prosecutor’s Office and you may police. “But after all these types of companies it acquired the latest almost similar response: ‘They’re not here therefore we have no idea where he’s.'”

The three following visited Donetsk to apply for responses about DPR Indoor Ministry and you can County Security Ministry secret police. “Around too they were considering exactly the same responses,” local Baptists noted. The 3 then lodged a written software to the DPR Interior Ministry. “The application form try acknowledged and so they had been guaranteed a response inside thirty day period.”

As around three men was indeed back once again to Mariupol of Donetsk, police phoned him or her and you can asked these to check out Leonid and Tatyana Ponomaryov’s family. Present in the household was indeed several investigators. “They asked his sister Viktor in addition to neighbours, had written it off within the short-term following left,” regional Baptists told you. Officers got refused to state in case your relatives perform get any solutions.

“In most its group meetings that have officials of numerous agencies, whenever chapel people asked these to choose by themselves none of the representatives of your regulators would give the name, score otherwise status,” chapel people indexed.

Students desire getting grabbed parents

On the 1 Oct, the latest Ponomaryovs’ pupils issued a statement thanking church participants getting prayers due to their parents. “Having ten months already we know nothing on the subject,” it typed. “A team of church participants out of Mariupol and you can Rostov went round all of the firms and you will establishments, not just in Mariupol in the local heart [Donetsk], and you will was indeed informed nothing regarding the our very own moms and dads anywhere.”

New Ponomaryovs’ pupils added that some churches was indeed praying for their mothers and you can smooth into dos and you will step 3 October. It wanted advice is bequeath commonly.

Within the a beneficial 3 October statement in order to its users and you can congregations around the world, the In the world Council regarding Church buildings wanted is attractive towards the Ponomaryovs become sent “Only off places of worship of your own Russian Federation”. (END)