20 Aug 2012 11:45

Patriarchate denies rumors of church trial of Pussy Riot

MOSCOW. Aug 20 (Interfax) - The Russian Orthodox Church has flatly denied the statement made by Deacon Sergiy Baranov saying that the sentence handed out by the Moscow Khamovnichesky Court on the Pussy Riot case was based on a decision made by a church court.

"It's nonsense. No church court evaluated that situation," Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), a top patriarchate official, told Interfax-Religion.

Archimandrite Savva said he is sorry about Baranov's decision to leave the priesthood to protest the court decision on the Pussy Riot case.

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