Law enforcers bring cases of UOC hierarch and two priests to court

Metropolitan Vissarion of Ovruch. Photo: pravlife.org

The SBU and the National Police brought to court the cases of Metropolitan Vissarion of Ovruch, secretary of the diocese and rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, accused of "inciting ethnic and religious hatred." This was reported by the press service of the SBU in the Zhytomyr region.

They noted that Metropolitan Vissarion allegedly “for several years personally prepared the texts of leaflets and brochures that insulted the religious feelings of Ukrainians.”

"Destructive materials were printed in tens of thousands of copies, which the diocese secretary and the local church abbot distributed widely among priests and believers of the religious community in the border region of the Zhytomyr region," the SBU stated.

The sanction of Articles (Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 161), which are imputed to the bishop and clergy, provides for punishment in the form of a fine of five hundred to a thousand non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens or imprisonment for a term of two to five years.

As the UOJ reported, Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn was sentenced to 5 years in prison with confiscation of property.

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