Ministry of Justice demands sanctions against Metropolitan Lazar of Crimea

Metropolitan Lazar. Photo: Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court demanding sanctions against the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Lazar (Shvets) of Simferopol and Crimea, the department reports on its Facebook page.

It is reported that Metropolitan Lazar supported the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, facilitated the occupation authorities of Crimea, and also "used his position to conduct propaganda work among believers within the framework of the ideology of the aggressor state, as well as by supporting and motivating the moral-psychological health of the servicemen of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and illegal armed formations," the statement of the Ministry of Justice says.

As reported by the Synodal Information and Education department of the UOC, on March 20, 2023, at a regular meeting of the Holy Synod of the UOC, a decision was made to remove Metropolitan Lazar of Crimea and Simferopol from the Synod.

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