Police continue criminal prosecution of UOC priests and believers who defended the cathedral in Cherkasy

Cherkasy police have served several more suspicions on clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who participated in the defense of the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the UOC in Cherkasy. This time, two believers and two priests of the UOC were charged with hooliganism. This was reported by First Cossack.

“According to our information, the persecution of the injured defenders of the cathedral is unfolding. So far, 4 suspicions have been served: 2 laymen and 2 clergymen. Those who stood up to defend the shrine are being charged with Article 296 of the Criminal Code – hooliganism. Recently, the police opened a case against the trustee of the Martha and Mary Sisterhood, Fr. Oleksandr Smyk. According to our information, investigators are trying to force these cases,” – the journalists of the publication reported.

We recall that on January 13, 2025, investigators of the Cherkasy Prosecutor’s Office handed over a suspicion to Archpriest Roman Gorkavenko, a cleric of the Cherkasy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who defended the Archangel Michael Cathedral of Cherkasy from the seizure of the Archangel Michael Cathedral by supporters of the OCU. The priest is charged with the article “For hooliganism,” which provides for imprisonment from 3 to 7 years. According to investigators, the priest “committed hooliganism with the use of special means.”