Why’re UOJ journalists on trial for truth while Kvartal blasphemers free?

President's friends from “Kvartal 95” can mock Christianity with impunity. Photo: UOJ

Around two years ago, a shocking broadcast by the President’s friends, Koshevyi and Pikalov, mocking the Church, aired in the media. While the program's creators aimed at "Moscow priests", in the end, they viciously targeted everyone who professes Christ as their God and Savior. Let's recall how this unfolded, and what punishment these people have faced in a democratic European state with the rule of law, which Ukraine undoubtedly is.

On 10 December 2022, identical videos were published on the YouTube channel "Chysto News" and on the page "Studio Kvartal 95 Online" under two titles: "Pasha Mercedes became a pedestrian. UOC-MP PNH. Bayraktar News #104" and "Villas, business, fornication, brothels, and other sins of Moscow priests in Ukraine. Bayraktar News". The videos were presented by Oleksandr Pikalov and Yevhen Koshevyi, inciting religious hatred.

The identical video was also released on the official YouTube channel of the national TV channel "1+1". Under the title "BayraktarNEWS Episode 104," it is available on the 1plus1.video website, owned by the "1+1" channel, and was evidently broadcast on the channel on 7 December 2024 to a wide audience.

It should be noted that this publication can be seen as assisting law enforcement, and therefore, it will be phrased using formal legal language.

From the very first minute, the hosts in the video state that "today’s episode is a requiem for Russian agents in Ukraine called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. May the benches be soft for you."

Thus, the hosts of Kvartal 95 Studio labeled all the clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as "Russian agents" during the war with Russia. In other words, they branded the UOC as enemies and a legitimate target for extensive repression.

The comedians then refer to the clergy of the UOC as "those who hide the insignia of FSB officers under their robes", "figures from the branch of hell" and many other markers of hatred and insults. For 13 minutes, the authors and hosts of this video, through manipulation, slander, unfounded accusations, editing, staging, and blasphemy, deliberately work to create a false negative impression of the UOC clergy and the Church as a whole, provoking discrimination and aggression against the UOC.

They use fake news and blasphemous setups involving a person dressed in the vestment resembling that of an Orthodox priest. This is done with the clear aim of inciting hatred and disgust towards the UOC and its believers.

Compilation of a screen shot from “Kvartal 95” and photos from searches in the Chernivtsi Eparchy of the UOC

Here, it is worth recalling that after the SBU raids in the Chernivtsi Eparchy, journalist Koshkina, who is close to Epifaniy, published a photo of the eparchy's secretary, Archimandrite Nikita (who later became the Bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk), and a choir singer, claiming they were allegedly in an intimate relationship. This fake news by Koshkina was eagerly spread by all the major media outlets in Ukraine, including Zelensky’s friends from "Kvartal 95". Later, the court ruled that the publication was false and ordered Koshkina to refute her fake news.

The hosts publicly demonstrate aggressive contempt for the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, using dirty, obscene language and offensive insults towards them (pay attention to the segment from 3:41 to 4:31), and encourage viewers to follow their example.

The comedians literally relish and boast about their expressions of hatred, publicly wishing death upon UOC priests, and encouraging their audience, the citizens of Ukraine, to commit unlawful acts against clergy members.

In particular, especially striking examples of hate speech and incitement to harassment and violence against the clergy of the UOC are found in the segment from 4:32 to 4:52, where members of "Kvartal 95" Pikalov and Koshevyi, suggest the following:

"It would be good to have a corresponding price list: to spit at a UOC MP priest – 20 UAH, leave the 'holy scripture' nailed to an SUV – 50 UAH, slap the left cheek and automatically the right one – 100 UAH, expel the Moscow Patriarchate from Ukraine – priceless," referring to the UOC by the term "Moscow Patriarchate", which is clearly implied in the context.

Later, they suggest that UOC priests should be unlawfully exchanged for captured Ukrainian soldiers and impose on the audience the idea that this is just and acceptable (timing 12:23 – 12:47).

The statements in the video " and "Villas, business, fornication, brothels, and other sins of Moscow priests in Ukraine. Bayraktar News" and its copies are blasphemous and sacrilegious in relation to Christian symbols and holy objects in general.

Here are just a few examples:

• "Ukraine bans the activities of the Russian father, the Moscow spirit and the bunker son on its territory";
• "The swearword of God";
• "Leave the Holy Scripture nailed to an SUV";
• "Kiss me everywhere, I’m already consecrated";
• "I swear to you, such a simple word, f***ing, by God! I swear by God!";
• "Declergification".

Let us just remind you that the first example ("Ukraine bans the activities of the Russian father, the Moscow spirit and the bunker son on its territory") is an obvious mockery of the words of Christ: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).

Thus, the video is filled with mockery and ridicule not only of the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church but also of the Holy Scripture, the Trinity, the name of the Lord God and prayers.

A screenshot of the phrase by Yevhen Koshevyi "Kiss me everywhere, I’m already consecrated."

All these points can be proven and illustrated with corresponding fragments from the "Kvartal 95" video. It is a continuous crime and a collection of physical evidence of a crime committed by an organised group of individuals – the hosts, scriptwriters, editors, and technical staff of "Kvartal 95" and "1+1", who participated in the ordering and creation of this criminal material and are responsible for the decision to publish it. This video was actively discussed in the aggressor state, showing it to representatives of other countries as evidence of the persecution of Christianity in Ukraine, which undoubtedly harmed our country's reputation on the international stage.

On this matter, on 15 December 2022, representatives of the UOC filed a notification with the Pechersk Police Department of the Main Department of the National Police in Kyiv, in the interests of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The notification concerned a criminal offence committed by LLC "STUDIO KVARTAL-95", Oleksandr Viktorovych Pikalov and Yevhen Viktorovych Koshevyi, under Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – incitement of religious hatred, insulting the feelings of citizens based on their religious beliefs.

Contrary to the requirements of the Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine, the investigators of the Pechersk Police Department of the Main Department of the National Police in Kyiv did not enter the information into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations and did not initiate a pre-trial investigation.

In connection with this, on 23 December 2022, Orthodox lawyers filed a complaint with the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv regarding the unlawful inaction of the investigator. It was accepted by the Ruling of the investigating judge on 13 January 2023.

In compliance with the requirements of this Ruling, the investigators of the Pechersk Police Department entered the information into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under No. 12023100060000436 on 10 March 2023.

On 4 April 2023, a linguistic semantic expertise was appointed by the investigator in the criminal case, which was assigned to experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise (the very KSRIFE, whose expert opinions formed the basis for the accusations against UOJ journalists). However, to this day, representatives of the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC have been unable to review the results of this expertise, as the investigator in the case is evading the provision of the examination materials and ignoring numerous petitions from the lawyers as well as personal visits. There are also serious doubts that this examination was ever made.

Special attention should be drawn to the fact that UOC believers submitted personal requests to be recognised as victims in the criminal case due to moral harm. However, the case is not progressing, and not even the interrogation of the victims has been carried out.

A year and a half has passed, and the blatant offences committed by the creators of this video remain uninvestigated, the perpetrators have not faced any responsibility, and the faithful of the UOC, due to such propaganda in Ukrainian society, have been subjected to mass persecution, violence and discrimination.

The pre-trial investigation has been ongoing since 10 March 2023 but to this day, the notification of suspicion of committing a criminal offence has not been delivered to citizens Pikalov and Koshevyi.

Against the background of these obvious publicly committed crimes of Zelensky's friends, the ‘inciting’ accusations against the defenders of the Church, who wrote the truth and spoke about the persecution of the UOC by the OCU and the authorities, look even more absurd and biased.

This is what the SBU and biased courts have done to the UOJ journalists for their lawful, accurate articles and reports based on facts and logical conclusions on their website. They were thrown in prison for 8 months and are still being tried.

They did not wish the OCU or the SBU to "die", as friends of the President did with UOC priests. They did not insult believers of any denomination, mock Christian symbols or call for persecution, direct physical violence or expulsion from Ukraine.

But for some reason, the SBU came not for Pikalov or Koshevyi, not to the Kvartal studio, but to the UOJ journalists.

These are such obvious and shocking double standards that we should not just talk but shout about it. After all, they are destroying the very foundations of legality, equality and justice on which the state is built.

We cannot forget this desecration of our Church.

And today, in announcing the December fundraising campaign to protect Orthodox journalists, we report that Orthodox lawyers are renewing efforts on the crime of "Kvartal 95", Koshevyi and Pikalov, and are determined to bring this case to court.

Do you want this to happen? Do you want justice for the UOC and punishment for the blasphemers and real criminals?

Then join this campaign. It will not only protect the innocent but also allow for the punishment of the guilty, the enemies of the Church of Christ and religious peace in Ukraine.

Join us! “Kvartal” must be held accountable by law. And Orthodox journalists should be free to live and work freely.

https://send.monobank.ua/jar/9ssSneNxE9

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