Swedish agency cuts support to Russian Orthodox Church over intelligence concerns
Swedish Agency withdraws financial aid to the Russian Orthodox Church, citing concerns from intelligence service about purported operations via church
The Swedish Agency for Support for Faith Communities announced on Thursday that it decided to sever financial aid to the Russian Orthodox Church. The agency emphasized its adherence to democratic ideals while citing concerns expressed by Sweden’s intelligence service on purported intelligence operations carried out via the church.
The organization in charge of giving funds to religious organizations stressed that the decision to withdraw funding was based on intelligence considerations as well as the belief that the Moscow Patriarchate had not complied with democratic norms.
In a statement, the agency said that Sweden’s Security Service (Sapo) expressed concerns over the church’s possible use by the Russian government for intelligence collecting and other security-related activities. The agency confirmed the conclusions of Sapo, citing incidents in which members of the Russian Orthodox Church allegedly interacted with people connected to the Russian security and intelligence services.
The two countries’ ties are even more strained as a result of recent espionage instances. A former Swedish intelligence operative who had been spying for Russia was given a life sentence in Jan. 2023.
Similarly, a Russian-Swedish individual was put on trial for allegedly providing Western technology to the Russian military; nevertheless, the court determined that his acts did not qualify as espionage.
In addition, the agency voiced concerns about possible conflicts of interest given the substantial financial support the Russian church receives from the Russian government. The conduct of religious officials that seemed to support Russia’s actions, including its invasion of Ukraine, was brought to light.
The decision to stop providing financial support to the Russian Orthodox Church coincides with escalating hostilities between Sweden and Russia, which has been deemed the main security danger in Sweden’s most recent intelligence assessments.
Source:AFP
