On February 18, the court of appeal in the case of Yevhen Koshelnyk, a priest of the UOC-MP from the Vinnytsia region, was held. It upheld the decision of the Kalynivka District Court, rejecting the appeals of the accused and his defense counsel.
This was reported on the website of the Vinnytsia Court of Appeal, according to Suspilne.
The cleric was found guilty and sentenced to 5 years in prison without confiscation of property.
In the court motions, the defense raised the issue of changing the verdict of the court of first instance in terms of the sentence. They asked for a three-year probationary period.
“I have always recognized Russia's aggression and do not justify the murder. I realize that I was wrong. When I distributed the video, I did not see any malice and did not know at the time that my actions were illegal,” the defendant said during the appeal hearing.
He pleaded guilty and regrets his actions.
“The prosecutor questioned some of the priest's words. He noted that his sons, due to illness, did not really need the constant outside care as the defendant claimed. Neither does their mother, who lives in Kryzhopil. As for the charitable assistance mentioned by Yevhen K., according to the prosecutor, it was delivered to the Sviatohirsk Lavra,” the statement reads.
What is known about the detention of Yevgeny Koshelnyk
The rector of the church of the Kalynivka deanery of the UOC-MP justified the aggression of the Russian Federation and spread pro-Kremlin propaganda among parishioners.
“According to the case file, in his communication with the faithful, the archpriest praised Putin and called for supporting the 'ruscists'. He also disseminated pro-Kremlin narratives among the parishioners of the religious community via Telegram. The examination initiated by the Security Service confirmed the facts of criminal actions aimed at undermining the socio-political situation in the region,” the statement reads.
During the searches in the rector's apartment, a cell phone and computer equipment he used to spread Russian propaganda were seized.
On December 18, the Kalynivka District Court found Yevhen Koshelnyk guilty of committing criminal offenses under Part 2 of Article 436-2, Part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced him to one year in prison without confiscation of property under Part 2 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine; and five years in prison without confiscation of property under Part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Based on Part 1 of Article 70 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the court finally sentenced Yevhen Koshelnyk to 5 years of imprisonment without confiscation of property.