Court in Rivne region fines man over posts about OCU
Supreme Court of Ukraine. Photo: i-ua
On April 28, 2026, the Volodymyrets district court in Rivne region fined a local resident over Facebook posts deemed to incite religious hatred, Rivne Vechirnie reported.
According to case materials, from October 2025 to January 2026, Dmytro Kovalchuk shared posts on his page containing offensive remarks about OCU believers, as well as claims about the “exceptionality” of the UOC.
During the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement officers seized the man’s mobile phone, which had been used to publish the content. The defendant pleaded guilty and explained that he had been expressing his own religious beliefs.
The court found him guilty under Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – incitement of religious hatred – and imposed a fine of UAH 3,400.
The ruling may be appealed.
As previously reported by the UOJ, the Supreme Court opened appellate proceedings in the case of the UOC’s Korets Monastery.
Read also
Phanar exarch in Lithuania discusses refugee support with Ukraine ambassador
The Patriarchal Exarch of Constantinople conveyed greetings from the Ecumenical Patriarch to Ukrainian diplomats.
DESS gives Pochaiv Lavra another 60 days to break with UOC Kyiv Metropolia
Yelensky said DESS extended the deadline for compliance following a request from Pochaiv Lavra’s lawyers.
Dumenko discusses demographic crisis with Ukraine’s education minister
The OCU stressed the need to preserve Ukraine’s human potential.
His Beatitude leads patronal feast at Kyiv church in Darnytsia district
During the festive service marking the church’s patronal feast, the UOC Primate ordained a deacon.
Mtskheta street named after late Patriarch Ilia II
The municipal council’s decision was an exception to the legal rules governing the naming of geographic features.
UGCC head backs integration of migrants into Ukrainian society
Shevchuk says Ukraine is building a new type of political nation – one that is not “only for ethnic Ukrainians,” but is open to everyone willing to help build the Ukrainian state.