and chaired by Lev Ponomaryov, and thereby gained the access to secret KGB archives. In March 1992 he published materials about the cooperation between the Moscow Patriarchate and the KGB. He published code names of several KGB agents who held high-rank positions in the Russian Orthodox Church including Patriarch Alexius II, Metropolitans Filaret of Kyiv, Pitrim of Volokolamsk, and others. The Russian Orthodox Church defrocked Yakunin in 1993. Gleb Yakunin was one of the organizers of the Democratic Choice of Russia political alliance in 1993, prior to the opening of the Constituent Assembly of Russia called by the Russian president Boris Yeltsin. He became a State Duma delegate representing the party "Democratic Russia" in 1996. He created the Committee for Defense of Freedom of Conscience in 1995. He criticized the law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" adopted by the Duma and made numerous statements in support of human rights in Russia. As is traditional for Orthodox parish priests, Gleb Yakunin was married, and had three children: Maria, Alexander and Anna. He died at the age of 80 after a long illness on 25 December 2014. Writings Books Articles and interviews See also Persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union Human rights in the Soviet Union References External links His writings Biography and photo album of Gleb Yakunin Interview with Portal-Credo.ru Declaration on the church rights of Orthodox Communities and Eparchies Russian Orthodox Church Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, "The Sword and the Shield", Chapter 28, The Penetration and Persecution of the Soviet Churches, 1999 Russia: the Orthodox Church and the Kremlin's New Mission - by Victor Yasmann, RFE/RL, April 10, 2006. Russia: Introduction of Religious Curriculum Studied, RFE/RL, September 7, 2006 Letter by David Satter The Battle for the Russian Orthodox Church - by Vladimir Moss The Orthodox Church at the End of the Millenium, 1990-2000 by Vladimir Moss The Betrayal of the Church - by Edmund W. Robb and Julia Robb, 1986 The Yakunin vs. Dvorkin Trial and the Emerging Religious Pluralism in Russia - by Marat S. Shterin and James T. Richardson "U.S. Food Aid Through Patriarchate May Be Abused, Priest Says; Distributor Tied to Illegal Activity & Trafficking in Parts of Unborn Babies" - by Russia Reform Monitor No. 584, February 11, 1999 Other Yakov Krotov and his library G.Yakunin. Religion and Human Rights. Letters from Moscow 1936 births 2014 deaths Clergy from Moscow People