MP sends MP enquiry to Interior Ministry over hooliganism at Lavra

Artem Dmytruk. Photo: odessa-life.od.ua

On 11 April 2023, an MP of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Artem Dmytruk, made a deputy request to the Interior Ministry regarding hooliganism in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

In the deputy's request regarding the situation that occurred in the Lavra (damage and removal of a photograph in the gallery from the Near Caves to the Far Caves), Artem Dmytruk noted that "Todor Panovsky entered the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra with a knife, waved it around and destroyed the property of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, including the photograph".

The MP stressed that "these actions not only caused material damage but also resulted in panic and fear among visitors and employees of the Lavra".

Dmytruk believes that "such events on the territory of our city are unacceptable and cannot be left without due attention".

He recalled that "Todor Panovsky was already wanted for committing a crime under Article 296 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code (hooliganism)”.

The MP asked the Interior Minister to consider the information contained in the appeal, to take measures to verify it and, if warranted, to eliminate violations of the law in force, to provide a proper legal assessment of the actions of all those involved and address the issue of bringing the perpetrators to justice prescribed by law.

Based on the data presented in the appeal and referring to Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Status of People's Deputies of Ukraine", the MP asked the Minister of Internal Affairs to provide information on the progress and results of the pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings on the above-mentioned facts.

As earlier reported, a protest activist recorded a video of a Nazi salute near the Lavra.

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