SBU threatens Metropolitan of Cherkasy with jail

Metropolitan Theodosiy. Photo: the Cherkasy Eparchy’s website

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has reported a new suspicion against Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy on its Telegram channel. The SBU stated that while under house arrest, he continued to "publicly incite religious hatred," engaging in "criminal activity".

"In his own home he began recording provocative videos in which he repeated Kremlin narratives about religious communities in Ukraine," the SBU press service said. “It has been established that in his addresses the defendant made disparaging remarks about believers and clergymen of other denominations".

The SBU claims that the metropolitan "tried to discredit the employees of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine, who carried out security measures on the territory of religious communities in the region".

"By doing so, the metropolitan acted in the interests of the aggressor country and tried to destabilise the socio-political situation in the region," the SBU representatives state.

They said that "expert examinations initiated by the Security Service confirmed the facts of the metropolitan's criminal actions".

Law enforcers conducted searches in the home of the bishop and found there "a provocative video of the defendant, computer equipment and a mobile phone used to record and distribute hostile content".

"Based on the new evidence," the SBU informed the metropolitan of another suspicion under Art. 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violating the equality of citizens depending on their racial, national affiliation, religious beliefs, disability and other grounds).

The SBU claims that they are considering a new preventive measure but already in the form of detention.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to the UOC Legal Department, the SBU is inciting religious enmity and hatred against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

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