Thomas Tae Kang: U.S. Citizen imprisoned in Russia

Tomorrow, on April 2 a hearing will be held on the case of Pastor Kang. He and his lawyer decided to plead guilty in order to soften the punishment for the crime.

In the circumstances, Mr. Kang sees no possibility to defend the truth, tired of the 7-month stay in jail and wants only one thing – to meet with his family as soon as possible.

We believe that the case was fabricated by the local authorities, that the pastor gave a “bribe” under pressure from the police officer and had been abetted by his assistant. The positive outcome of the case for authorities of the City of Tula certainly inspires them, and not only them, to do so in the future with the missionaries belonging to unwanted religious minorities. 

The following is the statement by the Russian Guild of Experts on Religion and Law:

Increasingly in Russia, prosecutorial agencies take action against the faithful, against Christian missionaries, and these actions are not, formally, prosecution initiated on the basis of their religious beliefs. Essentially, representatives of various faiths are provoked, and said provocations result in criminal, or other action.

In this regard, the Guild of Experts on Religion and Law calls on the Investigative Committee of Russia, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, and the general public to take note of the case of the Protestant pastor Thomas Kang, a U.S. citizen, who, as a result of obvious provocation, is under investigation for bribery.

Actions such as this, which are clearly targeted at believers who are persona non grata, as well as at active preachers who are unable to defend themselves, will inflict damage on Russia's international reputation as a Christian country. What transpired with Pastor Kang is a case of blatant persecution on the basis of religion, aided by criminal provocation. There is no doubt that the actions against Pastor Kang were taken with the aim of stamping out the Christian community which he created, and developing a means of expelling him from Russia.

We hope that, both within Russia and abroad, the public will respond vigorously to such blatant violations of the rights of believers to religious freedom and freedom to practice their beliefs, which are more and more frequently being threatened under various pretexts on the territory of Russia.