Chief Rabbi condemns Kyiv rabbi for supporting Deputy Head of the Presidential Office in court
Moshe Reuven Asman stated that the surety for Iryna Mudra was a personal initiative of the Kyiv rabbi.
Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman has criticized Kyiv rabbi Yonatan Markovich for his attempt to stand surety for former Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra. Moshe Asman described Markovich's actions in court as his personal initiative and distanced them from the position of the entire Jewish community. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine.
At the court hearing on August 24, Kyiv rabbi Yonatan Markovich expressed his desire and readiness to stand surety for Mudra. According to the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, the use of religious status in court is inadmissible. "Rabbi Markovich's statement about his readiness to act as a guarantor was his own initiative and does not represent the position of the Jewish community as a whole," Asman emphasized.
He noted that the mention of a clerical rank during high-profile proceedings is perceived by society as an exploitation of the authority of all believers. "I consider such a mixing of roles to be erroneous and categorically do not support it," the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine stated.
Asman also spoke of a wave of antisemitism that has risen in connection with Markovich's decision. He added that the actions of an individual rabbi give no one the right to insult the Jewish people, spread stereotypes, or accuse the entire community. Religious leaders must strengthen public harmony rather than draw communities into judicial controversies, the Chief Rabbi concluded.
The High Anti-Corruption Court on August 25 remanded the former official in custody with the possibility of posting bail of twenty million hryvnias. Law enforcement officers suspect Iryna Mudra of participation in a criminal scheme to legalize illegal funds for posting bail for former Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko.
As the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported, a memorial plaque to a Kabbalist rabbi was unveiled at a Kyiv detention center.
