Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) filed a lawsuit against the TV channel "Dozhd" to defend his honor and dignity

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of the Russian Orthodox Church has initiated legal proceedings against the TV channel “Dozhd,” accusing it of infringing upon his honor, dignity, and professional reputation. The complaint was officially filed with the Ostankinsky District Court in Moscow.

According to , a report by RBC, the lawsuit was filed with the court on September 9; however, the details of the hierarch’s claims are not currently disclosed in the publicly available case materials. A preliminary meeting between the parties to prepare for the trial is scheduled for November 2. Metropolitan Hilarion himself is refraining from making any comments to the press on this matter.

The conflict with the media outlet comes against the backdrop of a recent incident involving the bishop in Europe. In May of this year, Czech police stopped Metropolitan Hilarion’s car while he was serving at a church in Karlovy Vary. According to the metropolitan, during the search, packages containing white powder were found in the trunk, which he claims had been planted. Despite being detained on suspicion of possessing psychotropic substances, the hierarch was released two days later without charges being filed, after which he returned to Russia.