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Ukrainian investigators are looking out the house of Metropolitan Pavel Lebed, an Orthodox Church chief, who they accuse of justifying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and inciting inter-religious hatred.
Ukraine’s safety service (SBU) confirmed on Saturday that Pavel, who runs Ukraine’s most essential monastery, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, is suspected of violating the nation’s legal code.
Pavel “in his public speeches repeatedly insulted the spiritual emotions of Ukrainians, humiliated the views of believers of different denominations and tried to type hostile sentiments in the direction of them,” mentioned the SBU, which additionally revealed what it alleges are telephone intercepts from Pavel’s sermons. He additionally “made statements that justified or denied the actions of the aggressor nation,” based on the service.
“Right this moment, the enemy is making an attempt to make use of the church surroundings to advertise its propaganda and cut up Ukrainian society,” the SBU’s head Vasyl Malyuk mentioned.
Pavel’s department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was beforehand beneath management of Moscow clergy, however declared its independence in Might final yr.
However Kyiv argues that the church must be closed down resulting from its pre-war ties to Moscow and has been making an attempt to evict Pavel and his fellow worshippers from his monastery.
Pavel has denied the allegations, arguing that Kyiv has no authorized grounds for the eviction, based on the BBC. Throughout a court docket listening to on Saturday, he mentioned he has “by no means been on the aspect of aggression,” describing his present standing as “home arrest.”
The SBU has arrested dozens of clerics, accusing them of collaboration with Russia. Final yr, the service raided the Lavra monastery and different buildings belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The church denies that there’s proof to help the costs.
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