Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) left the Czech Republic

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of the Russian Orthodox Church has left the Czech Republic after an incident in which he was detained by local police on suspicion of transporting banned substances. According to Radio Liberty, the clergyman was released without formal charges, but the investigation into the matter is ongoing.

The incident occurred on May 24 on a highway west of Prague. During the inspection of the vehicle, containers with an unknown white substance were found in the trunk. The metropolitan spent more than nine hours under interrogation, after which he was released on May 26. The hierarch himself in comments to the media and in his video blog categorically denies involvement in the discovery, calling what happened a planned provocation. At the moment he does not disclose his exact whereabouts, but plans to report on the situation to Patriarch Kirill.

The clergyman’s defense points to serious procedural violations during the detention. The lawyer said that the police were only interested in the contents of the trunk, and the Metropolitan himself was not given the opportunity to be present during the search. The incident provoked a reaction at the diplomatic level: the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Czech chargé d’affaires, demanding explanations and Hilarion’s release.