In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the Novomoskovsk Court passed a sentence against the deputy of the Holy Mykolaiv Samarsky Hermitage of UOC-MP Diocese of Dnipropetrovsk, Hieromonk Dosifiy Savelov.
According to Patriot of Donbas, the court found the UOC-MP clergyman guilty of inciting religious enmity and sentenced him to 3 years of imprisonment but exempted him from serving the sentence with a probationary period of 1 year. The trial took place in the absence of the accused, at his request.
During his sermons, Archimandrite Dosifiy spread negative and derogatory information about people belonging to the Catholic Church.
The verdict of the Novomoskovsk City District Court does not provide specific details about the content of the monk's sermon. However, the results of the forensic linguistic examination state that it contained negative (insulting) information about certain groups of individuals based on their religious affiliation, namely belonging to the Catholic Church.
Furthermore, according to the conclusion of the expert from the National Scientific Center "Institute of Forensic Expertise named after Honored Professor M.S. Bokarius," the statements made by Savelov contain linguistic features of inciting religious enmity, particularly concerning the Catholic Church.
In the criminal proceedings, a plea agreement was reached between the prosecutor and the accused, with the participation of the defender. Savelov unequivocally admitted his guilt in committing a criminal offense under Article 161, Part 1, of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, that is, deliberate acts aimed at inciting religious enmity and hatred, as well as insulting the feelings of citizens in connection with their religious beliefs. He also pledged, in accordance with the agreement, to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to prevent and expose criminal offenses.