In Kremenchuk, local media wrote a denunciation to the SSU against a UOC priest because of a repost on Facebook

The regional publication Kremenchuk Operatyvny organized harassment against a local priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church through a repost on the social network Facebook. The site’s editors did not like the fact that the UOC clergyman shared a post by MP Artem Dmytruk on his page, in which the latter criticized Vladimir Zelensky for interfering in the affairs of the Church. Kremenchuk Operatyvny called on the SSU to deal with the clergyman. The corresponding publication was posted on the media outlet’s website.

“The priest of the UOC-MP Maxim Pavlichenko reposted a post by the fugitive MP Artem Dmytruk on his FB page. The post spreads Russian imperial narratives about the local Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In particular, the fugitive calls it “bandits and terrorists.” As a reminder, Dmytruk illegally left Ukraine, where he was wanted for attacks on people. Dmytruk was expelled from the Servant of the People faction in November 2021. The MP is known for several scandals. He opposed the ban on the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The editorial board asks the SSU to consider this publication a report of a crime, because the actions of Maksym Pavlichenko have signs of actions under Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – incitement to religious hatred,” – the website says.

It is worth noting that earlier, on a similar denunciation, the Avtozavodsky District Court of Kremenchuk sentenced a local resident who published critical comments about the OCU on social networks. According to the court, the man, criticizing the OCU on social media, incited religious hatred.