Right Sector journalist who took part in the seizure of a UOC church is challenging the police's refusal to reclassify the case of her "beating" in court

In the Chernivtsi region, journalist and member of the Right Sector organization Diana Lavryk filed a complaint with the court against the police’s refusal to reclassify the criminal case of her attack. The incident took place during an attempt to seize the St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in the village of Verkhni Stanovtsy, and the journalist insists that the case should be treated as a crime related to her “professional activities” rather than as a simple infliction of light bodily harm.

According to the Institute of Mass Information, the incident took place on April 8, 2025, in the village of Verkhnye Stanovtsy. Diana Lavryk, who took part in the seizure of the local St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in favor of the OCU, received light injuries during a scuffle that took place between the raiders and UOC believers.

Initially, the police opened criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 125 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine(intentional light bodily harm). The journalist disagreed with this qualification and filed a motion to reclassify the case under Article 345-1, part 2 of the Criminal Code (Threat or violence against a journalist). However, both the prosecutor and the management of the district police department refused to satisfy her request.

In their official refusal, law enforcement officers stated that there were no grounds for reclassification, as the attacker, in their opinion, did not realize that Diana Lavryk was a journalist. Disagreeing with this decision, the journalist filed a complaint with the Vyzhnytsia District Court of Chernivtsi Oblast and is currently awaiting its decision.

We will remind, on the night of April 8-9, 2025, supporters of the OCU, with the help of the right-wing radical organization “Right Sector”, made an unsuccessful attempt to seize the St. Nicholas Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Verkhnye Stanovtsy, Chernivtsi region. The seizure was led by the odious “chaplain” of the OCU Roman Hryshchuk. The invaders attacked the UOC believers who gathered to defend the church. Some parishioners of the church needed hospitalization.