Radomyshl court reopens case of UOC clergyman due to procedural violations

Court. Photo: mis.dp.ua

The Radomyshl District Court of Zhytomyr Region will hold hearings in the case of UOC priest Vladyslav Smolinskyi, whose earlier conviction was overturned due to significant procedural violations, reports "Media Initiative".

Previously, the court of first instance found the clergyman of the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Sholomky guilty of "justifying the RF's armed aggression" and sentenced him to three years of probationary supervision. However, the Zhytomyr Court of Appeal overturned this verdict and returned the case for a new hearing.

The panel of judges established that the court of first instance had accepted as evidence the record of an "investigative experiment" conducted by SBU officers in the agency's office in the Zhytomyr region. At the same time, the court of first instance did not assess the admissibility of this evidence.

Furthermore, the appellate court noted that the lower court had failed to establish the subjective element of the crime — intent and motive — and had not examined the relationships between the accused and the witnesses.

According to the investigation, in the spring of 2022, the cleric allegedly denied the occupation of Bucha and Borodianka during conversations. In court, the clergyman did not admit guilt and stated that "he had been set up because of his refusal to transfer from the UOC to the OCU."

The hearing for the retrial has been scheduled for September 24, 2026, at 14:00 at the Radomyshl District Court.

As the UOJ reported, the court suspended the re-registration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the UOC in Odesa.

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