A court in Kyiv has sentenced a priest for criticizing the decisions of the Synod of the OCU on social media

The Svyatoshinsky District Court of Kyiv found a priest guilty of publicly criticizing a decision by the Synod of the OCU and calling it “heresy,” sentencing him to one year of imprisonment with a three-year probationary period. The clergyman’s posts on Facebook served as the basis for the criminal prosecution, according to“Court Reporter.”

According to “Court Reporter,” the case involves posts from 2022 and 2024 in which the priest, who holds a degree in theology, opposed the OCU’s position that killing occupiers is allegedly not a sin and does not require repentance. He called this position “blasphemy” and “false teaching,” asserting that war is a consequence of society’s spiritual condition and can be ended only through repentance, not by justifying violations of biblical commandments.

In court, the priest did not admit guilt and stated that his actions were aimed solely at defending the faith and combating heresy in the information sphere. According to him, he initially tried to convey his position to the leadership of the OCU through personal letters, and after they ignored him, he turned to a wider audience in order, as he put it, to protect people from “spiritual destruction.”

The defense insisted that the investigators and experts had taken quotes out of context and failed to take into account their homiletic nature. Theologians spoke out in support of the defendant, including a serving chaplain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who reportedly confirmed that the controversial posts were reflections on faith rather than political propaganda. At the same time, in the posts themselves, the clergyman referred to the hostilities as “genocide” and to Russia as a “terrorist country.”

However, the court agreed with the prosecution’s position and cited the conclusions of Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) experts, who saw signs of a crime in the posts. The ruling states that the materials were posted on a public Facebook page and could have been misinterpreted by ordinary users.

As a reminder, on December 3, 2024, a court hearing was held at the Dolynskyi District Court in Kirovohrad Oblast to consider a case involving the violation of citizens’ rights and freedoms based on their religious beliefs.The hearing was prompted bythe actions of a local resident who, according to the investigation, had insulted the OCU and its supporters on social media.