The disgraceful persecution of a conservative Christian journalist is being memory-holed. 

'He was arrested for becoming Orthodox. Neither the US nor Satan could forgive him for that.'

(Image - Hanick at the Orthodox baptism of his wife and son.)

The influential head of Russia's main Christian TV channel, Spas, Boris Korchevnikov, blasted the Biden administration yesterday for imprisoning long-time Fox News producer Jack Hanick in a convoluted case which accuses Hanick of violating sanctions due to his longtime collaboration with another major Russian Christian TV channel, Tsargrad.

Hanick, 72, was one of the first people Roger Ailes brought in to build Fox News. He was recognized with an Emmy for his achievements there. He was arrested in February of 2022 in London where he resided, and faces 25 years in prison.

Hanick's indictment is similar to the recent shocking indictment of 4 black leftist American political activists, apparently because they publicly supported Russia in their public statements. Popular columnist Caitlin Johnstone wrote an excellent and brutal critique of this obvious attempt to silence any public support of Russia by an out-of-control Justice Department, in complete violation of the First Amendment. Tucker Carlson and Glenn Greenwald also reported on that story, with Greenwald devoting a whole episode of his new nightly news broadcast to it.

Korchevnikov, 40, is one of Russia's most popular TV personalities. In addition to running Spas, he is the host of a popular celebrity interview show on Russia's First Channel, (Pervoe Kanal). Spas is one of Russia's most popular TV channels, reflecting the growing influence of Christian attitudes in government and society.

On Friday, he penned an eloquent and emotional editorial in Russian on RT's Russian language Telegram Channel, tying Hanick's incarceration to Tucker Carlson's recent firing, suggesting that they reflect a slide towards totalitarianism in American politics.

Hanick's arrest days before Russia's surprise invasion of Ukraine was major news in Russia, and likely would have been a bigger story in the US, but was eclipsed by the start of the Ukraine war.

Shortly after his arrest, neocon outlets Rolling Stone,The Daily Beast, and the New York Times wrote gloating, biased reports on the case, here, here, and here, in obvious collaboration with the DOJ.

Here is a translation of Korchevnikov's remarkable editorial. It gives affectionate insight into Hanick's personality and faith, his conversion to Orthodoxy from Catholicism, and his affection for Russia.

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"Tucker Carlson has been fired from Fox News, and one of the founders of that channel, American Orthodox Christian Jack Hanick, has been in prison for over a year ... for working with Russia. And in fact, for being an Orthodox Christian.

Russian Christian political philosopher Ivan Ilyn and many other visionaries predicted that American freedom and democracy would inevitably degenerate into a rabid dictatorship. Political and spiritual laws dictate that this is the result of liberalism. Only a blind man would deny that this is now happening.

Carlson was removed before the elections and the coming American revolution, but his voice, I am sure, will become louder than ever.

And Hanick, a creator of legendary Fox News faces not only 25 years in jail (which means he could die in prison: he is 72), but has also been sentenced to a memory hole.

Jack was a devout Catholic. At age 12, during confirmation, he heard a voice: "One day you will have to do something very important, to which I will call you."

A lifetime passed. He was one of the first to speak publicly about the fact that the US media monopolies - CNN and the like - were only playing at objectivity, that journalism cannot, in principle, be objective. Honest - it must be, but the personal views and beliefs of the editors and reporters can't help but be reflected in their work.

Fox News became a leader, and Hanick collected world TV awards - because he created a fantastic TV channel, giving equal airtime to conservatives, for once. America was not used to that.

In 2016, Jack was invited to Russia. He came with a bunch of prejudices and fears about our country, which are fed to Westerners by their media.

And suddenly, in a Moscow meeting room, he heard that same inner voice he had heard a long time ago, as a 12-year-old boy: "This is what I am calling you to do."

A minute later, he got a job offer. He was dumbfounded. And so, Jack began creating the Tsargrad Channel.

When it debuted, it really was an excellent channel in terms of professionalism, with one of the best studios in the center of Moscow, the windows of which looked at the bell tower of Ivan the Great in the Kremlin, a mosaic of the Savior on the domed ceiling of the studio, with great graphics, and terrific presenters and columnists. The hosts were very charming and very keyed in to what was really going on in Russia, connecting with voices and opinions - about Russia, our faith, our tradition, our culture, our history, about our complex present, which cannot be understood in isolation from the past and from the Gospel, and all these voices were finally allowed to speak freely, free from the catacombs of the past.

All of this was invented by Jack. And for this he is now in an American prison.

And also for the fact that in Russia he saw an alternative path for the salvation of man than exists in the West, and that we have a truly free country. He was amazed by the new churches full of young people, and the sincere life of communion and liturgy in them, whereas in his homeland the churches were being shuttered and sold.

He was struck by the fact that Russians are more discerning than Americans when it comes to media, more realistic in their assessments, and more sensitive to the truth.

It is in Russia that Jack and his entire family embraced Orthodoxy.

It is in Russia that he completed what he was called to do by God.

After his time with Tsargrad, Jack traveled the world, prayed, and wrote a book about Russia and his life.

And when the war in Ukraine began, he was arrested in London. Formally - for violating the sanctions regime: for cooperating with the sanctioned Konstantin Malafeev, who owns Tsargrad.

But actually - for telling America to its face what he saw happening there. Any totalitarian regime, Ukraine or America, hates the truth.

He was arrested for his love for us, for his understanding that Christian Orthodox Russia has a great majesty and a great future.

He was arrested for becoming Orthodox. Neither the US nor Satan could forgive him for that.

Remember Jack in your prayers.

His name in baptism is John, and he is a servant of God."