UOC believer tried in Rivne for "offending" OCU

Court. Photo: astana.sud.kz

A court hearing was held in Volodymyrets, Rivne Oblast, against Ihor Kots, a parishioner of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), who was accused of offending OCU believers.

According to the verdict of the Volodymyrets District Court, on September 2, 2024, Ihor Kots posted comments in a Facebook group regarding the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) that the court deemed offensive.

The court ruling stated that his remarks were allegedly aimed at inciting religious hatred and offending citizens' religious beliefs.

Specifically, the court found that his comments contained derogatory characterizations of OCU parishioners and promoted the exclusivity of the UOC.

His actions were classified under Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – violation of citizens’ equality based on race, nationality, or religious affiliation.

The defendant pleaded guilty and entered into a plea agreement with the prosecutor. Judge Olena Ivankiv approved the agreement and sentenced Ihor Kots to a fine of 3,400 hryvnias without deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in specific activities.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that on December 10, 2022, the "Kvartal 95" show aired a blasphemous program about the UOC, which included calls for violence against UOC clergy and believers.

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