Metropolitan Pavlo says in courtroom he has "never supported aggression"
Pavlo Lebid, the Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) and abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), has stated in the courtroom that he was "against aggression" but did not mention Russia as the perpetrator.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda; Security Service of Ukraine (SSU); Prosecutor General's Office
Details: Commenting on the suspicion with which he has been served by the SSU, Pavlo said that he was against aggression.
Quote from Pavlo: "I didn't do anything to be accused of anything. This is a political matter.
I've never been on the side of aggression. I am against aggression. And now I am in Ukraine. This is my land," Pavlo said.
The Security Service has released an excerpt from Pavlo’s telephone calls and sermons.
Митрополит Павло у залі суду заявив, що "ніколи не був на боці агресії"
— Українська правда ✌️ (@ukrpravda_news) April 1, 2023
Відео: УП pic.twitter.com/jLVrH9PGud
More details: The SSU and the Prosecutor General's Office have disclosed details of the suspicion.
They found that in his public statements, Lebid had "repeatedly insulted the religious feelings of Ukrainians, humiliated the views of believers of other denominations and attempted to generate hostile sentiments towards them, and also made statements that justified or denied the actions of the aggressor country".
A forensic linguistic examination confirmed this.
The Security Service of Ukraine also posted a clip from Pavlo’s phone conversations and sermons.
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