Court orders arrest of Moscow’s top priest in Ukraine
Previously confined to house arrest, Metropolitan Pavel of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Ukraine will now be held in detention by law enforcement until Aug. 14, with a UAH 33 million ($900,000) bail, according to a Kyiv court ruling made on July 14.
As reported by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, the prosecution argued that Pavel had been in contact with a witness in the case, thereby violating the conditions of his house arrest. Pavel, in turn, claimed he did not know the witness at all. He further stated that he had "never sided with the aggressor" and "never supported Putin."
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The prosecution demanded a bail of UAH 60 million ($1.63 million), reasoning that the defendant’s assets are of a similar value.
On April 1, Ukraine's SBU security service charged Pavel (Peter Lebed) with incitement of religious enmity and justification and denial of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. Subsequently, searches were conducted at his residence.
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Later that day, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court placed Pavel under a 60-day house arrest, which included the requirement to wear an electronic bracelet. The metropolitan has referred to the case as "political."
Paul was charged amidst the refusal of the ROC to vacate the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, despite the state terminating the lease agreement for the property.
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On July 13, the SBU charged Pavel over an interview in which he allegedly denied Ukraine's status as a sovereign state and referred to Russia's war against Ukraine as a “civil war.”
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
