Vinnytsia Eparchy priest convicted for social media posts

Archpriest Yevhen Koshelnyk. Photo: Glavcom

The Kalynivka District Court of Vinnytsia Oblast sentenced Archpriest Yevhen Koshelnyk, a cleric of the Vinnytsia Eparchy of the UOC, for posts in the Telegram messenger. The rector of the church in the village of Liulintsi was sentenced to five years in prison for justifying the actions of the Russian army, according to local media reports citing the court’s decision.

"Throughout 2024, after downloading a mobile application, he registered a personal account in the Telegram messenger, which he subsequently used to justify the actions of the armed forces of the Russian Federation… claiming that the Russian army was conducting a special military operation to protect the 'Russian-speaking population of Donbas'," the court stated.

In the courtroom, the priest was taken into custody and sent to a pre-trial detention center, where he will remain until the verdict takes effect.

It is worth noting that on October 1, 2024, the Kalynivka District Court had placed the cleric under house arrest as part of a "preliminary hearing on the case," accusing him of violating legislation related to justifying Russian aggression.

According to the court’s decision, the priest’s pre-trial detention period began on December 17, 2024, and will be counted toward his overall sentence.

As previously reported by the UOJ, a man in Kirovohrad Oblast was convicted for Facebook posts about the OCU.

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