Authorities in the Swedish city of Westeros demand the closure of the Russian Orthodox Church parish over suspicions of espionage

The authorities of the Swedish city of Westeros initiated the procedure of closing a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church, citing a threat to national security and suspicions of espionage. The main cause of concern was the proximity of the church to the airport, which is planned to be used for military needs against the backdrop of increased cooperation with NATO.

According to Telegram channel Cleric News, the municipal government of Westeros sent an official letter to the Swedish leadership with a demand to ban the activities of the parish of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which is under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, and to seize the land plot from it. This decision was taken after consultations with the Swedish Security Service (Säpo).

The key factor that caused concern to the authorities is the location of the temple just half a kilometer from the city airport. According to reports, military traffic will reportedly pass through this air harbor in the future. In addition, a permanent NATO base is planned to be located in the neighboring city of Enköping, which significantly increases the strategic importance of the airport. It is noted that Säpo employees have not yet provided clear justification for their suspicions and did not explain how the parish could be used for intelligence gathering.

The temple itself is a building with eight domes, the cost of construction of which, according to open sources, is estimated at 3.1 million euros. At the moment there are no official comments from representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church or the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the situation.

Recall that the European Parliament held hearings on the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, during which there were accusations against the Russian Orthodox Church of hybrid warfare and espionage, as well as calls for the expulsion of its clergy from the EU. At the meeting of the commission “European Shield for Democracy” a heated discussion broke out between supporters of tough measures and deputies who spoke in defense of Orthodoxy.