The rector of the Pochaiv Seminary of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate, Jov Smakous, received a fine for a pro-Russian post on Facebook. He was accused of inciting religious enmity.
This is evidenced by the verdict of the Kremenets District Court.
Thus, according to the investigation, the archbishop created an anonymous Facebook account in November 2019, from which he published a post in Russian. The text of the publication itself was not specified in the verdict. However, a forensic linguistic examination established that the text contained signs of inciting religious enmity.
The rector of the Pochaiv Seminary entered into an agreement with the investigation. Smakose admitted his guilt and agreed to the punishment.
The meeting in this case took place on January 4. Judge Natalia Shulgach found the cleric guilty of inciting religious enmity and imposed a fine of 8,500 hryvnias.
In addition, Smakouz will have to pay another 9,000 hryvnias for the examination. However, the verdict has not yet entered into force, so it can be appealed.
It is worth noting that Yov Smakoz previously managed the UOC MP parishes in Canada. In 2018, he was appointed rector of the Pochaiv Seminary.
It will be recalled that the Security Service of Ukraine announced that it had searched the churches of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate in four regions, finding campaign materials, propaganda, Russian flags and the occupiers' warehouses there.