Cherkasy, Cherkasy Province, Ukraine, December 30, 2025
Met. Theodosy, recovering at home after having been poisoned, by all appearances. Photo: pravlife.info
A Ukrainian court has openly acknowledged that accusations of “Ukrainophobia” or anti-Ukrainian statements against His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy are completely unfounded.
Nevertheless, a court case has been going on against him since 2024, during which time many churches in his diocese have been violently seized, and there have been at least two attempts on his life. The respected hierarch has spent months under house arrest on clearly fabricated charges.
He is accused of speaking in a homily in defense of the nuns of the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery in Cherkasy, who were violently evicted from their monastery in November 2023. The schismatics even broke of Fr. Sergei Paschenko’s jaw.
Just last week, Met. Theodosy was released from the hospital after a month. He became severely ill and doctors found heavy metals present in his body, most likely indicating that he was poisoned. Although he’s still undergoing outpatient treatment, the local prosecutor claims he is a flight risk.
On December 26, the Sosnivka District Court in Cherkasy extended the preventative measure against Met. Theodosy (currently a lighter form of house arrest) for another two months, although the court openly acknowledged that the trial has thus far completely failed to prove he has an anti-Ukrainian sentiments.
Ukrainian media was quick to report the extension of the preventative measure, but left out the rest of the story, writes the Cherkasy Herald.
The outlet reports:
COURT RULING: Prosecutor’s claims that Metropolitan Theodosy has Ukrainophobic views are unfounded and found no confirmation during court proceedings!
What did Suspilne fail to mention?
On December 26, the Sosnivka District Court in Cherkasy extended the preventive measure for Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkasy and Kaniv in the form of a personal obligation for another two months. This was reported the same day to readers by Suspilne Cherkasy, whose journalists were present in the courtroom.
The journalists also made sure to report that prosecutor K. Kostenko requested an extension of the preventive measure because (direct quote), “There’s a risk of (Metropolitan Theodosy) evading court, he may unlawfully influence victims and witnesses in this criminal proceeding, obstruct the criminal proceeding in other ways, may commit other crimes or continue to commit crimes of which he is accused. The accused has clearly expressed Ukrainophobic views and is negatively disposed toward the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian society, the population as a whole.”
A complete set of clichés.
But what did Suspilne “forget” to tell its readers? Only that the Court rejected all these arguments from the prosecutor’s office as worthless and unfounded.
And the preventive measure was extended only because the fabricated case against Metropolitan Theodosy relates to a serious article of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and cannot remain without any preventive measure at the stage of court proceedings. Unless, of course, the accused belongs to the political “elite” of the country.
This is not difficult to verify. Here are direct quotes from the court’s “RULING IN THE NAME OF UKRAINE”:
“The prosecutor’s claims that Snigirev D.L. (Metropolitan Theodosy) has clearly expressed Ukrainophobic views and is negatively disposed toward the Ukrainian population are unfounded and found no confirmation during court proceedings...
...To date, the court has not established, and the prosecutor has not proven, the presence of a risk of unlawful influence by the accused on questioned victims and witnesses...
After 04.09.2024, the accused has not been notified of suspicions of committing criminal offenses; final decisions (verdicts) in other criminal proceedings against Snigirev D.L. have not been issued.”
And what is this serious article under which (among others) Metropolitan Theodosy and many other representatives of the clergy, intelligentsia, and ordinary citizens of Ukraine are being tried today? It’s Article 436-2, which together with Articles 161 and 111 under current conditions can fairly be called the analog of the political Article 58 under Stalin, under which in the 1930s clergy and intelligentsia were likewise groundlessly accused of “anti-Soviet agitation,” “treason to the motherland,” and “counterrevolution.”
One can only hope that Ukraine’s judicial system will be able to be fair, despite the tremendous external pressure in considering cases against the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and all dissenters.
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