Court in Metropolitan Theodosiy case fines forensic psycholinguistic expert
The expert from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise under Ukraine’s Justice Ministry, whose conclusions underpin the prosecution’s case, again failed to appear in court and was fined.
Another hearing in the case of Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv was held on March 19, 2026, at the Sosnivka District Court of Cherkasy, where the court decided to fine a forensic psycholinguistic expert for failing to appear, according to Dozor on the First Cossack channel.
According to sources, the hearing was expected to include the questioning of Anna Stromylo, an expert from the Cherkasy branch of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, whose findings are being used as one of the key pieces of evidence in the case.
It is noted that the charges were formulated precisely on the basis of her “expert conclusions” regarding the hierarch’s pre-war interviews with Ukrainian television channels. In those appearances, Metropolitan Theodosiy, among other things, publicly defended the rights of the UOC.
At the same time, the report says the expert once again failed to appear in court. The defense argues that her conclusions do not withstand scrutiny and have previously been called into question, including in other court proceedings where similar materials were ruled inadmissible as evidence.
The court reportedly imposed a fine on the expert for systematically ignoring court summonses and violating procedural norms. In addition, the defense raised the issue of possible liability for knowingly providing false expert conclusions, as well as signs of bias in the materials submitted.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy said the forced mobilization of UOC clergy amounted to a crime and genocide.
