SBU assured that the release from custody of the Metropolitan of the UOC MP Pavlo will not affect a fair trial

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) assures that providing bail for Metropolitan Pavlo (Lebid) of the UOC MP will not affect the fair trial of the case. The other day, he was released from custody, as provided for by the previous decision of the Solomyansky District Court.

"We emphasize that the release from custody of the former governor of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra due to the payment of the appropriate bond does not mean his release from criminal responsibility. This is exclusively a type of preventive measure since the articles of the Criminal Code of Criminal Procedure against Metropolitan Pavlo do not provide for detention without alternative," SBU noted.

So far, the court has imposed a number of duties on Metropolitan Pavlo of the UOC MP:

• wear an electronic means of control;
• not to leave the village of Voronkiv, Boryspilsky district, Kyiv region, without notifying the investigator (with the exception of urgent cases involving danger to life and health);
• at the first request to appear before the investigator, prosecutor, investigating judge in this criminal proceeding;
• refrain from communicating with victims and witnesses.

The investigation in the criminal proceedings against Pavlo has been completed, and his lawyers are familiarizing themselves with the case materials. After that, the indictment will be sent to the court.

Earlier, investigators of the Security Service informed the Metropolitan about the suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• Part 2 of Art. 161 (violation of the equality of citizens depending on their religious beliefs);
• Part 3 of Art. 436-2 (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine).

Since the beginning of Russiaʼs full-scale aggression against Ukraine, according to SBUʼs materials, 65 criminal proceedings have been investigated against clergymen, in particular, against bishops of the UOC MP. So far, the court has handed down 15 convictions. The Ukrainian citizenship of 19 clergymen of the UOC MP who have Russian passports has also been revoked.

• On August 14, the Solomyansky Court of Kyiv changed the preventive measure of Metropolitan Pavlo of the UOC MP — instead of 24-hour house arrest, he was ordered to be kept in custody until August 14 or bail in excess of 33 million hryvnias.