The State Bureau of Investigation informed on Saturday that it had notified of suspicion the "curator" of the ROC in Ukraine, a people's deputy of several convocations from the "Opposition Bloc". According to the information obtained by UNN from its own sources, this is about Vadym Novynskyi.
DBR employees, in cooperation with the SBU, notified of suspicion the "curator" of the ROC in Ukraine, a people's deputy of several convocations from the banned pro-Russian party "Opposition Bloc". He is suspected of treason and inciting religious enmity and hatred
According to the investigation, "from the very beginning of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, since 2014, he has been promoting Russian narratives through interviews in the media, public speeches, as well as in posts on his own website and social networks". "The deputy tried to form anti-government and pro-Russian sentiments in Ukrainian society, justify Russian aggression, etc.", - the bureau's message says.
"The pro-Russian deputy, following the instructions of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) of the ROC, has maintained close communication with him for a long time and was in his hierarchical subordination, that is, he was a so-called "curator" from the ROC and actually a representative of a religious organization of a foreign state in Ukraine", - the DBR noted.
At the same time, it is reported that "the people's deputy, acting in support of the foreign policy of the aggressor country, systematically made public speeches with signs of religious intolerance and enmity".
"After the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian army into Ukraine, he resigned and is currently hiding abroad. However, he continues to exert informational influence aimed at harming the sovereignty of Ukraine, its state and information security, achieving the military-political goals of the Russian leadership in relation to the state of Ukraine and providing Russia with assistance in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine in the information sphere", - the DBR pointed out.
Comprehensive forensic psychological and linguistic examinations ordered by the investigator, as reported, "confirmed the facts of the criminal activity of the people's deputy in the interests of the Russian Federation".
"He has been notified in absentia of suspicion of treason (Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and violation of the equality of citizens depending on their racial, national, regional affiliation and religious beliefs, committed by an official (Part 2 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)", - the DBR reported.
The maximum punishment for committing such actions is imprisonment for a term of up to fifteen years with or without confiscation of property.
The notification of suspicion to the people's deputy was also reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General and the SBU.