SBU reports suspicion of cleric in Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of RCC

SBU officers during searches at the RCC cleric’s. Photo: t.me/SBUkr

The Security Service of Ukraine has announced the suspicion of a Catholic priest of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of the RCC, who denied the crimes of the Russians in Bucha.

The SBU Telegram channel said that the law enforcers had collected evidence that the rector of the parish of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church was guilty of anti-Ukrainian activities.

The RCC priest publicly justified Russia's armed aggression and denied war crimes of the Russian invaders against Ukrainians.

According to law enforcers, in his "speeches" in front of believers, the priest called the facts of numerous murders and tortures of people by the Russians in Bucha "staged".

In addition, according to the SBU, he urged not to trust the official information of Ukrainian state institutions and mass media about war crimes committed by the aggressor and agitated to listen only to him because he was allegedly in the Kyiv region during the temporary occupation of part of the region.

"The defendant in the case has been notified of suspicion of Part 1 of Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the SBU noted.

The pre-trial investigation has been completed. The indictment has been sent to court.

The SBU stressed that "in its activities, it adheres to the principle of impartiality to the activities of any religious denomination and respects the right of every citizen to freedom of ideology and religion as defined by the constitution of Ukraine".

As earlier reported, the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk, said that "under the leadership of our President and Commander-in-Chief, we do our best and restore order".

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