In Zhytomyr region, the court has issued a guilty verdict in the case of a UOC MP priest, who had been calling on parishioners to “repent” and unite “with the fraternal Russian people”
The priest in question, serving in the Village of Uzhachyn in Novohrad-Volynskyi district was found guilty of collaborationism.
By the verdict of the Novograd-Volynskyi City District Court of July 5, 2022, the priest of the Moscow Patriarchate was found guilty of committing a criminal offense provided for in Part 1 of Art. 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaborative activity) and banned him for 13 years from holding any official positions, including in law enforcement and local government, Zhytomyr.info reports.
According to the court verdict, the cleric had been telling parishioners that there is no war in Ukraine but a “special operation” aimed at protecting Ukraine from the “Banderites” and “Nazis.” He also urged believers to opt for Russian news that could be watched on the internet over the Ukrainian media.
Since the onset of Russia’s military aggression, the priest has repeatedly publicly expressed his pro-Russian stance, claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “operation” aims to prevent the NATO invasion of the Russian Federation. He had been calling on local residents to “repent” and “unite in this struggle with the fraternal Russian people.”
