On the evening of 21 Sep, several equipped and you can masked men in the Russian or DPR military uniforms reach the newest Ponomaryovs’ home for the vehicles with no count plates. “Seeing brand new army car instead of amounts, neighbours visited come out onto the street to determine what had took place,” local Baptists listed on step 3 Oct. “However they had been purchased to go back house and not ahead aside.”

The new equipped dudes remained on Ponomaryovs’ domestic for approximately a couple of and a half era. Right now it was black, but “the brand new neighbours extremely read groans and whines” while the masked men got Leonid and you can Tatyana out “when you look at the an unknown guidance”, local Baptists told you.

To the twenty-two Sep, church users tried to learn the whereabouts regarding Leonid and you will Tatyana Ponomaryov. “However, neither next nor into next months you may they receive any responses,” local Baptists lamented. A police officer of your Russian Interior Ministry informed relatives which they should not care while they could be freed just after the latest referendum, and this concluded toward twenty seven Sep.

Along with to the twenty-two Sep, authorities of one’s Russian industry forces raided and you can checked the new Kurchatov roadway Baptist Chapel, taking over spiritual books and you can securing the building, regional Baptists noted.

Some other Protestant church buildings – and one or more other Council regarding Church buildings Baptist congregation – are nevertheless capable satisfy for worship into the Mariupol. Various other Council from Churches congregation kept the Assemble Event praise services toward Weekend dos October “regardless of the latest incidents”, regional Baptists indexed.

Church players try to find shed pastor and you can spouse

For the 30 Sep, one or two Koreansk damer i Amerika pastors on the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don visited Mariupol to try and read where Leonid and you may Tatyana Ponomaryov are being kept and why these people were captured. And Leonid’s sister Viktor Ponomaryov, it went to the latest DPR State Shelter Ministry, military headquarters, Prosecutor’s Office and police. “However, at all this type of enterprises it received the latest nearly identical effect: ‘They’re maybe not here so we have no idea where he is.'”

The three next travelled to Donetsk to apply for solutions about DPR Interior Ministry and State Cover Ministry secret police. “Indeed there also they certainly were considering the exact same solutions,” regional Baptists noted. The 3 up coming lodged a written app with the DPR Interior Ministry. “The program try accepted as well as was indeed promised a reply within this 30 days.”

While the about three men were to Mariupol of Donetsk, police phoned them and you can questioned these to head to Leonid and Tatyana Ponomaryov’s domestic. Introduce within home were several investigators. “They expected his brother Viktor and also the neighbors, wrote they off in the temporary then kept,” regional Baptists said. Officials had would not state should your household members carry out receive any solutions.

“In all the meetings with authorities of various organizations, whenever church players requested them to choose by themselves none of the agencies of your government will give the term, rank otherwise position,” chapel participants indexed.

College students interest to own caught mothers

On the 1 October, the Ponomaryovs’ pupils issued a statement thanking chapel participants having prayers due to their moms and dads. “For ten months currently we realize little about them,” it authored. “A team of chapel users of Mariupol and you will Rostov ran bullet most of the providers and you will organizations, not just in Mariupol in the local hub [Donetsk], and have been told nothing about the moms and dads anyplace.”

Brand new Ponomaryovs’ youngsters extra you to definitely individuals churches was basically praying due to their moms and dads and you may accelerated to the dos and you will step 3 October. They wanted recommendations become bequeath generally.

In an excellent 3 Oct statement so you’re able to their people and congregations globally, the new Worldwide Council of Places of worship requested is attractive with the Ponomaryovs as sent “Simply from churches of your own Russian Federation”. (END)