The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has initiated 68 criminal cases against clergy members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).
According to SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtyarenko, the crimes of these religious representatives go beyond state treason, with some identified as collaborators with the enemy, META reports.
Among the accused, some were found to be agents of the adversary willingly engaging in collaborationism. Others were suspected of aiding military conscripts in escaping from Ukraine to neighboring countries in exchange for rewards. Additionally, there were cases involving the distribution of pornographic materials involving children.
Nearly 20 Moscow Church priests have received guilty verdicts, with sentences ranging from 5 to 12 years of imprisonment. The SBU had previously advocated for stripping 19 clergy members of Ukrainian citizenship after discovering passports from a recognized terrorist state. Eventually, their Ukrainian citizenship was revoked.