UOC priest sentenced to 5 years in Vinnytsia region for posts on Telegram

On December 17, 2024, the Kalynivka District Court of Vinnytsia Oblast sentenced Archpriest Yevhen Koshelnikov, a priest of the Vinnytsia Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The court found the priest guilty of “justifying Russian aggression” against Ukraine and “spreading Russian narratives” on Telegram. The priest was sentenced to 5 years in prison. This is reported by the court’s website.

“According to the court’s verdict, the accused was found guilty of committing criminal offenses under Part 2 of Article 436-2, Part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced to a term of imprisonment:
under Part 2 of Art. 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — one (1) year of imprisonment, without confiscation of property;
under Part 3 of Art. 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — 5 (five) years of imprisonment without confiscation of property.
Based on Part 1 of Art. 70 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, for the aggregate of criminal offenses, by absorbing a less severe punishment with a more severe one, finally sentence the accused to 5 (five) years of imprisonment without confiscation of property. The beginning of the sentence shall be counted from the day the verdict enters into force. Until the verdict enters into force, the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest at night shall be changed to custody. Take the accused into custody in the courtroom immediately and keep him in custody in the pre-trial detention center of the Vinnytsia Penitentiary (No. 1) until the verdict enters into force, and then execute it,” — the ruling reads.

Earlier, we reported that the Khust District Court of the Transcarpathian region found a resident of Khust, Ivan Mykulyak, guilty of “inciting religious hatred and enmity” against the OCU. The reason for the trial was the defendant’s critical statements on social media about the OCU. The defendant pleaded not guilty, but the court sentenced him to a fine.