The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office has announced the submission of an indictment to the court against the archdeacon of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, who is suspected of obstructing the work of journalists.
This was reported by Radio Liberty.
"On March 30, 2023, journalists from the Public Broadcasting Corporation were filming a report on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. At that time, a representative of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (archdeacon) approached the operator, grabbed the microphone, broke the mount of the video camera, and threw it on the ground. After that, the operator could not continue his professional activities," the prosecutor's press service quoted the materials of the criminal proceedings.
The indictment was submitted to the court for consideration on April 11. The article under which the priest is accused provides for a fine of up to 50 untaxed minimum incomes of citizens, arrest for up to six months, or restriction of freedom for up to three years.
On April 3, the police in Kyiv announced that they served a notice of suspicion to the priest, who was charged with obstructing journalistic activities on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. On March 30, the Kyiv police began criminal proceedings after the archdeacon at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra broke the mount on the video camera of a broadcaster from the "Suspilne" TV channel.
On that day, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine reported "mass violations" of journalists' rights near the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and called on the police to prevent such violations. The media covered the situation with the eviction of UOC-MP priests from the Lavra.