Ukrainian Protodeacon Alleges False Prosecutions of Priests
Protodeacon Vadim Novinsky said that the vast majority of criminal cases opened against Ukrainian Orthodox Church clergy are fabricated, with the government threatening them to accept plea deals.
KYIV — Protodeacon and former MP Vadim Novinsky of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has claimed that the vast majority of criminal cases opened by the Security Service of Ukraine against UOC clergy are fabricated. Speaking in a recent interview, Novinsky asserted that only a small fraction of the cases have any legitimate basis, estimating that as few as five percent may be grounded in reality.
He described what he called a typical pattern in such prosecutions, alleging that authorities seize a priest’s phone and use supposed correspondence to justify charges of treason. Clergy, he said, are then pressured to accept plea deals under threat of pre-trial detention, contributing to conviction statistics. Novinsky also rejected accusations that priests have aided military actions, insisting their lives are devoted to spiritual service.
The protodeacon pointed to several cases involving hierarchs, including Metr. Theodosy of Cherkasy and Metr. Longin of Bancheny, describing alleged violence, illness, and ongoing legal pressure. He further cited the detention of Metr. Arseny of Svyatogorsk Lavra, characterizing the charges against him as unfounded. Novinsky concluded by criticizing what he described as government efforts against the Church.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Svyatogorsk Lavra published a fresh account of Metr. Arseniy’s court hearing.
