Fr. Viktor Zemlianoy speaks about suspicion notice SBU served him with

SBU served a suspicion notice to Archpriest Viktor Zemlianoy for inciting religious hatred. Photo: UOJ

As it became known to the UOJ, on August 5, 2019, the Office of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Rovno region served a notice of suspicion to Archpriest Viktor Zemlianoy, head of the Department for Interfaith Regulation at the Rovno Eparchy of the UOC, for inciting religious hatred under Part 3 of Article 300 and distributing illegal literature under Part 1 of Article 161.

“It is written in the suspicion notice that I distributed literature with a group of people, but the group of these people has not been identified, in my opinion, the situation is just comic,” says Father Viktor. “The basis for the initiation of Article 300, Part 3, was my interview with Russian channels. It’s absurd: Russian journalists are accredited to work in Ukraine, they calmly travel around the territory, record and take comments, but for some reason, it was me who, giving a comment, incited an interfaith conflict.”

Raisa Prikhodko, the lawyer of the clergyman of the Rovno Eparchy of the UOC, is convinced that the notice of suspicion served to the priest is stupid and unspecified.

“The specified document is not specific, and the facts indicated in it do not describe the circumstances that would make it possible to prosecute. Definitely, we will appeal this in court.”

As reported earlier, Archpriest Viktor Zemlianoy, head of the Department for Interfaith Regulation at the Rovno Eparchy of the UOC, was given the next summons to the SBU to inform him of a change in suspicion in the framework of the criminal proceedings initiated against the clergyman 2 years ago. Criminal proceedings against a clergyman were opened more than two years ago, and its period expires on August 15, 2019.

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