The case against UOC priest: the court sides with accusers
Archpriest Viktor Zemlianoy. Photo: UOJ
The Rivne Court of Appeal launched a second round of the trial against the cleric of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Viktor Zemlianoy, who is accused of inciting religious hatred and disseminating works promoting the cult of violence and cruelty (Articles 161 and 300 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The court of the first instance ruled that the indictment against the priest had been drawn up incorrectly. However, the prosecutor's office disagreed and challenged this decision. Then the appellate court overturned the ruling of the first instance. Now the case against the priest will be tried again.
At the meeting, the lawyer of Archpriest Viktor Raisa Prikhodko stated that the indictment did not indicate either the motive or the purpose of the crimes of which the priest was accused, since it contains only platitudes about “hate mongering”.
The priest himself said that he would file a motion to close the case due to the absence of corpus delicti: “We will file a motion, as the case is far-fetched. The point is that it can become a precedent for further persecution of priests."
Earlier, the religious expert Lyudmila Filipovich told how she helped to fabricate a criminal case against Archpriest Viktor Zemlianoy.
Read also
Sand for construction of Yermak’s residence brought from cemetery, MP says
MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said that sand illegally removed from a cemetery in Ukrainka was used in the construction of the elite Dynasty cooperative in Kozyn.
Italian court recognizes family with three parents as legal
In Bari, the appellate court ordered authorities to register an adoption according to which a child is listed as having two "fathers" and one mother.
Archaeologists discover biblical Bethsaida on shore of Sea of Galilee
Researchers have discovered a first-century residential house beneath the apse of a Byzantine church and a mosaic inscription mentioning the Apostle Peter.
Israeli soldiers receive jail terms for mocking statue of the Virgin Mary
Those involved in the act of sacrilege in the village of Debel will spend several weeks behind bars for desecrating a statue of the Mother of God.
Serbian Church officially receives back land of 15th-century monastery
An agreement was signed in Belgrade transferring the territory of the ancient Vojlovica Monastery to the Banat Eparchy.
Pat Daniel comments on conflict between Phanar bishop and community in Turkey
The Bulgarian Primate believes that the hierarch of the Constantinople Patriarchate should not have forced the Bulgarian community in Edirne to serve in Greek.