Metropolitan Pavlo under house arrest
Metropolitan Pavlo, at the head of a famous monastery in Kiev whose monks, accused of being linked to Moscow, are the subject of an expulsion notice, was placed under house arrest for sixty days on Saturday by the Ukrainian justice.
“The investigating judge decided to apply a preventive measure in the form of a 24-hour house arrest to the suspect”, announced the court of the Ukrainian capital in charge of this case. And that “over a period of sixty days as part of the preliminary investigation, until May 30, 2023”he added.
The religious dignitary must therefore “wearing an electronic monitoring device” et “refrain from communicating with witnesses in the context of criminal proceedings”the court said.
Accused of having justified the Russian invasion
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Metropolitan Pavlo is suspected of having “justified the armed aggression of the Russian Federation once morest Ukraine and glorified its participants” as well as having “violated the equality of citizens on the basis of their racial, national, regional (and) religious beliefs”. Accusations refuted by the man of the Church.
Earlier today, Metropolitan Pavlo was questioned by Ukrainian authorities – before the court made its decision public – three days following he and the monks concerned were the targets of an expulsion notice, once morest the background of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
This religious dignitary was then taken to a court in kyiv for a hearing followed in particular by an AFP journalist. However, it was initially adjourned to Monday, Metropolitan Pavlo not feeling well, before finally resuming.
“The placing of Metropolitan Pavlo under house arrest on false charges is a natural consequence, alas!, of the anarchy created by the Ukrainian government”for his part denounced in a press release the head of relations with the media of the Orthodox Church in the Russian capital, Vladimir Legoida.