Court orders police to open 5 criminal cases against 'activists' near Lavra

The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv obliged the district police department to open five criminal proceedings in connection with offences by anti-church "activists" near the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Thus, the judges satisfied five out of eleven complaints of the monastery's lawyers against the inaction of the police, who ignored all their statements about the offences of the UOC opponents near the Lavra, as reported by the lawyer of the monastery, Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

Almost all statements are related to the fact that a group of provocateurs regularly tries to interfere with divine services. According to the court decisions, the Pechersk police department should investigate four proceedings under Part 1 of Article 180 of the Criminal Code (illegal obstruction of a religious rite, which disrupted or threatened to disrupt a religious rite).

The lawyer notes that the perpetrators face up to two years' imprisonment for such offences.

Another criminal case, which law enforcers are obliged to open, concerns the teargas attack on a UOC parishioner (Part 1 of Article 125 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Also, Fr. Nikita said that the Lavra's lawyers filed a complaint with the police about committing an offence under Part 3 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code (willful actions aimed at inciting religious enmity and hatred and, or the insult of citizens' feelings in respect to their religious convictions, accompanied with deception, committed by an organised group of persons). This article provides for a more severe punishment – for a term of up to five years of imprisonment.

Earlier Archpriest Nikita Chekman said that Lavra’s lawyers will be present every day at prayer services near the walls of the monastery to document offences committed by UOC opponents.