MOSCOW, December 4 (RIA Novosti) - A priest and his family were killed on the weekend in an arson attack on their home in a Central Russian region, an Orthodox Christian magazine said.
Reverend Andrei Nikolayev of the Russian Orthodox Church's Tver Bishopric died together with his wife Ksenya and three young children, after unidentified attackers set fire to their house in the village of Pryamukhino in the early hours of Sunday morning, Orthodoxy & World said.
Citing a report by Bishop Viktor, the head of the diocese, the magazine said the priest's home had previously been set fire to. According to local media, Nikolayev had received death threats from fellow villagers over his unwillingness to finance their drinking needs using parish funds.
The priest reportedly asked for official protection several months ago. A criminal investigation is under way.
