Court orders to open an incitement case with journalist and OCU "priest”

Dmitriev and Sokolova. Photo: Sokolova Instagram

The Podil District Court of Kyiv ordered the investigators of the UP GU NP to start a pre-trial investigation for inciting religious hatred and animosity against participants in the "Rendezvous with Yanina Sokolova" program on Channel 5, Archpriest Nikita Chekman, Lavra's lawyer, said in his telegram channel.

“In the production of 'Rendezvous with Yanina Sokolova' dated April 8,2023, the program participants used extremely negative characteristics and statements about the UOC and its believers, called the church ‘Moscow’, discussed the need and timing of its complete destruction, claimed that the UOC was not canonical, and called the God’s Gifts ‘some kind of crap’. Based on the court decision, the investigators are obliged to start a pre-trial investigation and provide an extract from the ERDR (Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations),” the lawyer said.

Recall that on April 8, 2023, on Channel 5, Yanina Sokolova’s program “Moscow priests ‘whitewash’ murders: Padre chaplain about the UOC-MP” was released, where Sokolova talked with the “priest” of the OCU Serhiy Dmitriev. During the program, Sokolova called the Holy Gifts “some kind of crap from a spoon,” to which Dmitriev remained silent.

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