Russia to deport LDS church volunteers found guilty of violating immigration laws

Two missionaries from the LDS church who were held in Russian government custody will be deported.

The Moscow Times first reported the two men, who it identified as David Gaaga and Kole Brodowski, were taken into custody while volunteering for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, headquarted in Salt Lake City. Brodowski's identity was revealed on Facebook by his father who said, "all we can do is pray."

CBS News reported that the pending deportation could come late next week, citing attorney Sergey Gliznutsa, regarding a ruling in a Krasnodar court. He also said the men are being held in a detention center in the city of Gulkevichi, approximately 1,000 miles south of the Russian capitol Moscow.

"Many people have reached out regarding the status of our two volunteers in Russia," church spokesman Eric Hawkins said. "At this time, they remain in custody while their deportation is being processed. The young men are in good spirits, are being treated well, and are in regular contact with their mission president and their families. We continue to work with local authorities in Russia and we remain hopeful these volunteers will be allowed to leave the country soon. In the meantime, we are grateful for the many offers of assistance and support expressed on their behalf."

A district court in Novorossiysk, Russia found them guilty of violating Russian immigration laws last Saturday and the Russian Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department confirmed the detention according to the Moscow Times.

The two men were living in Novorossiyk, on the shores of the Black Sea, where they were detained during a meeting at a church, Hawkins said in a statement Tuesday. The boy's father said they were teaching an English class at the time of their arrest.

All reports said they were in good health.

The church sends missionaries around the world to proselytize, but Russia doesn't allow conversion efforts there. The church has maintained since 2016 that those serving in Russia are volunteers who do not proselytize but perform community service and support church members already there.

"I don't have this information," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said to reporters on Wednesday in regards to the arrests. He told them to contact local authorities. 

Russia prohibited religious missionaries in 2016, because of terrorism laws. The LDS church says it complied with the restrictions. The men have been in contact with their mission president and are serving in an LDS mission, but as volunteers.

CBS News reported the men were taken into custody by Russia's Federal Migration service during a meeting with a handful of Russian visitors in a room the church rents for meetings. The lawyer said they were held in a dorm-type room for several people. One of the missionaries was reportedly not scheduled to come home until September.