Court of Appeal upholds sentence of Metropolitan Theodosius

on April 29, 2026, the Cherkasy appeals court upheld the verdict against the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Cherkasy and Kanevsk Theodosiy, recognizing as justified the decision of the court of first instance to find him guilty of inciting religious hatred. This is reported on the Facebook page of the Center for legal protection.

According to the materials of the case, on February 6, 2026, the court of first instance sentenced Metropolitan Theodosius to a fine of 8,500 hryvnia. The basis for the charges were public statements of the bishop, in which the investigation saw «discrimination on religious grounds and insulting the feelings of citizens».

According to the court documents, Metropolitan Theodosius’ speeches contained «negative characterizations» against representatives of other confessions, including the use of such phrases as «invaders» and «slanderers». The court also emphasized the inadmissibility of using the term «Judas» in relation to clergymen who have changed denominations, as it «carries a pronounced insulting character». In addition, according to experts, the defendant «actively promoted the ‘Russian world’ narrative, questioning the legitimacy of other church structures».

The court took into account that these statements were widely disseminated on the Internet, which significantly increased their public danger. Currently, in addition to the completed proceedings, another criminal case against Metropolitan Theodosius is still pending in the Sosnovsky District Court, with the next hearing scheduled for May 5.