Ukrainian Orthodox priest sentenced to five years in prison for social media postings

A court in Ukraine has sentenced a priest of the Vinnytsya diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Yevhen Koshelnyk, to five years in prison for publications on the Internet. The official reason is support for a special military operation.

- The priest of the Vinnytsia diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Archpriest Eugene Koshelnik was sentenced to five years in prison for posts in Telegram-channel. He is the rector of the temple of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Lyulintsy in Vinnitsa region. In the courtroom, the bishop was taken into custody and taken to the investigative isolator, where he will stay until the verdict enters into legal force. I believe that every such decision is Zelensky's personal crime,” Ukrainian MP Artem Dmytruk wrote on his social media page.