Resident of Rivne region fined for "offensive posts" on Facebook about OCU believers

The Volodymyrets District Court of Rivne region has sentenced a local resident, Dmytro Kovalchuk, on charges of “inciting religious hatred.” The reason for the trial was publications on the social network Facebook containing offensive statements against supporters of the OCU. This was reported by the Rivne Post.

According to the case file, in the period from October to January, the accused distributed content on his page “that humiliated the dignity of the OCU believers and promoted the narrative of the ‘exclusivity’ of the UOC.” During the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement officers seized the man’s cell phone, which served as material evidence of his illegal activities.

The defendant fully admitted his guilt and repented of his actions, explaining that he posted the posts expressing his own religious beliefs. Judge Lyudmyla Kotyk found the resident of the region guilty under Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (intentional actions aimed at inciting national, regional, racial or religious enmity and hatred). Kovalchuk was sentenced to a fine of UAH 3,400. The court’s decision may still be appealed.

As we reported earlier, in the Rakhiv district of the Transcarpathian region, a court found a parishioner of the UOC guilty of “inciting inter-religious hatred”. The reason for the prosecution was her comments on Facebook, in which she expressed support for the canonical Church and condemned the persecution of the clergy.