Ukrainian court places leading Orthodox priest under house arrest after he allegedly cursed Zelensky

The abbot’s arrest comes as the Zelensky government in Ukraine is under increasing scrutiny for its crackdown on religious and journalistic freedoms.

Ukrainian court places leading Orthodox priest under house arrest after he allegedly cursed Zelensky
AP Photo/Mstyslav Chenov
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Metropolitan Pavel, the abbot of Ukraine's revered Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, has been placed under house arrest by a Ukrainian court, accused of justifying Russian aggression and allegedly cursing President Zelensky.

Despite denying any support for Russia's aggression and claiming that Ukraine's action against him was politically motivated, Metropolitan Pavel was sentenced to two months under house arrest, the Associated Press reported.

Regarding the ankle monitor, he stated, "Christ was crucified on the cross, so why shouldn't I accept this?"

The abbot’s arrest comes as the Zelensky government in Ukraine is under increasing scrutiny for its crackdown on religious and journalistic freedoms.

Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery is part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which Zelensky suspects of having links to Russia.

The Ukrainian authorities have raided UOC holy sites, reportedly finding rubles, Russian passports, and messages from Patriarch Kirill.

Monks at the monastery were ordered to leave by March 29 but are refusing to do so.

Videos of a number of these raids have surfaced on social media showing monks and churchgoers praying as armed men desecrate the premises.

According to the AP, UOC supporters gathered outside the monastery on Saturday to protest Zelensky's actions against the church. A 21-year-old seminary student, dressed in priest's clothes and with a Ukrainian flag, questioned the accusations of being pro-Russian.

The U.N. High Commission for Human Rights expressed concerns last week about Ukraine's "state actions against the UOC" being "discriminatory," urging the regime to provide a "fair trial" to anyone charged with a crime, said Newsweek.

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