In Prykarpattia, a woman ordered to pay a fine for criticizing OCU on FB
Facebook. Photo: SCANPIX
The Verkhovyna District Court of Ivano-Frankivsk region has sentenced a woman who allegedly created a "bot" to harass and criticize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) on the social network Facebook. According to the local publication "Blitz Info", the court found the woman guilty of inciting religious hatred and imposed a fine of 4,250 UAH.
Court materials indicate that she spread critical comments about the OCU on social media. After her posts in March 2023, representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted a "preventive conversation" with her. However, according to the report, she ignored this and continued to post comments against the OCU. As a result, a criminal case was opened against her.
One of the comments that the court considered "critical" was the following: "I cannot bear to see how OCU barbarians harass and beat our believers. I cannot bear to see how they torture our clergy, how the state bans pilgrimages to holy sites. I cannot bear to see how fanatics illegally evict UOC believers from churches."
In the verdict dated August 27, she was found guilty and fined 4,250 UAH. In addition, she must pay 24,382 UAH for court expert examinations.
As the UOJ previously reported, a UOC believer in the Rivne region was fined 3,400 UAH for a post on the Internet.
Read also
Moldova lacks capacity to maintain 800 temples it intends to seize from Church
According to the Minister of Culture, authorities plan to seize 800 churches from the Moldovan Church, but they lack the capability to manage them.
Court returns seized church to UOC community in Ivankiv
The appellate court declared invalid the re-registration of the UOC community of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the town of Ivankiv.
2,800-year-old seal with biblical symbols found in Israel
Israeli archaeologists have found a stone seal from the era of Judean kings with an inscription in ancient Hebrew.
Pope warns clergy against writing AI-based sermons
The head of the Roman Catholic Church warned priests about the risks of using digital technologies in ministry.
UOC parishes abroad hold memorial services on war anniversary
Clergy and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church abroad prayed on the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
Persecuted UOC parish in Tovtry performs reading of Great Penitential Canon
Another Bukovynian community, deprived of its church, continues Great Lent services in an adapted facility.