Police open criminal proceedings due to the attack on UOC bishop

Bishop Nikita of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia. Photo: bbc.com

Law enforcers opened criminal proceedings in connection with the attack in Chernivtsi on Bishop Nikita (Storozhuk) of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia UOC and his subdeacons. Karolina Marysheva, press secretary of the Chernivtsi region police, informed bbc.com.

She said that the police had launched an investigation into the offense under part 1 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism). According to the press secretary, the investigators are still investigating the circumstances of the conflict, but “there is no talk about inciting religious hatred so far."

According to law enforcement officers, the attacker is a 28 year-old resident of Chernivtsi. The police have no information that the offender was allegedly a military man, as some media write.

As the UOJ reported, the incident took place on April 10, 2023 at 10 p.m. near the St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in Sahaydachny Street. The attacker struck the bishop and one of the subdeacons.

The attacker was not afraid that the police would be called – he said that he "knows everyone in the SBU", and "nothing will happen to him." After the arrival of the patrol, he continued to threaten violence and even started a brawl again.

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