Russian occupation official suspected of persecuting Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests

A representative of the Russian occupation administration has been served with a notice of suspicion over the forced expulsion of Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests from temporarily occupied Melitopol.

Source: Office of the Prosecutor General on Facebook

Details: In 2024, the suspect was an authorised representative of Vladimir Putin in the presidential election, the Prosecutor General's Office reported.

The Book of Executioners, a Ukrainian project documenting Russian war criminals and those who betrayed Ukraine, says the suspect is Artem Sharlai, a native of Zaporizhzhia who has actively supported Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine's east.

Investigators say the suspect worked with Russian troops and officers of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) to persecute clergy with pro-Ukrainian views.

Quote: "He demanded that services in Ukrainian be stopped, that Ukrainian military personnel no longer be mentioned in prayers, that ties with religious organisations in Ukraine be severed and that congregations be re-registered under Russian law.

He also collected information about pro-Ukrainian priests and passed it on to FSB officers for further persecution."

Details: In December 2022, Sharlai personally took part in a search of a Greek Catholic parish and directed the search for religious literature deemed "extremist". This material was subsequently used as grounds for detention.

The investigators believe the suspect's actions facilitated the unlawful expulsion of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church clergy, who are protected under international humanitarian law. He is accused of violating the laws and customs of war under Article 438.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Background: Russian authorities in Crimea have recently sentenced a Ukrainian couple for alleged treason and preparations for terrorist attacks.

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