“The Security Service of Ukraine reported the detention of two priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in Odessa on charges of spreading pro -Russian propaganda and justifying the war of Russia against Ukraine against Ukraine”, – WRITE: www.radiosvoboda.org
“Among the detainees-the 58-year-old priest of the Church of the Odessa Diocese of the UOC (MP). During conversations with parishioners, he heroned the invaders and offended the religious beliefs of believers of other denominations. The person maintained ties with the former MP from the Party of Regions, Igor Markov, who already has suspicion of the SBU for treason and is currently hiding in Russia. In addition, he was in contact with the collaborator Valery Kaurav, who fled to the Russian Federation in 2014, where he announced the creation of the Kremlin’s project “Odesa People’s Republic – Novorossiysk”, – the message stated.
According to the SBU, at the request of Kaurov Cleric, along with his 23-year-old daughter, was photographed with clean sheets of paper against the background of known locations of Odessa, and then sent pictures to the Russian Federation.
“Russian propagandists” domesticated “on empty leaves calls for the occupation of the regional center, which allegedly heard from the locals. In the future, the Kremlin’s rupora “accelerated” fakes on Russian TV and telegrams-channels under the guise of publications of the pro-Russian underground,-noted in the SBU.
Another detainee-the 44-year-old Archpriest of the UOC (MP), who, according to the intelligence service, “in his sermons justified Russian shelling of the civil infrastructure of Ukraine.”
The detainees were suspected of the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- h. 2, 3 tbsp. 436-2 (justification, recognition legitimate, denial of armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants);
- Part 1 of Art. 161 (violation of equality of citizens depending on their religious beliefs).
Men face up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.
The official website of the UOC (which is in prayer unity with the Moscow Patriarchate) does not comment on these accusations against their clerics.