Recently, metropolitan Pavlo (Petro Lebid) of the moscow patriarchate’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) has been released from custody on bail of UAH 33.3 mln, as provided for by the preliminary decision of Solomyansky District Court of Kyiv.

After requests from mass media, the SSU informs that this type of preventive measure will in no way affect the fair trial of metropolitan Pavlo in court.

We emphasize that the release from custody on bail of the former Kyiv Pechersk Lavra abbot does not mean his release from criminal liability. It is only a measure of restraint - the articles of the Criminal Code under which the cleric is charged do not stipulate non-alternative custody.

Currently, the court has imposed several obligations on metropolitan Pavlo, which include:

• to wear an electronic monitoring device;
• not to leave Voronkiv village, Boryspil district, Kyiv region, without notifying the investigator (except in urgent cases involving danger to life and health);
• at first request, to come to the investigator, prosecutor, investigating judge within the criminal proceedings;
• refrain from communicating with victims and witnesses.

At present, the investigation in the criminal proceeding against Petro Lebid has been completed, and his lawyers are studying the case file. After that, the indictment will be sent to court.

Earlier, SSU investigators notified the metropolitan of suspicion under the Articles of the CCU:

• 161.2 (violation of equality of citizens based on their religious beliefs);
• 436-2.3 (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine).

Since the beginning of russia’s full-scale aggression, based on the SSU’s investigations there are 65 criminal proceedings against clergy, including the UOC-MP bishops. So far, the court has handed down 15 guilty verdicts. Additionally, Ukrainian citizenship has been revoked from 19 UOC-MP clergymen who hold russian passports. Over 250 clerics of the russian Orthodox Church and 3 UOC-MP clergymen, whose Ukrainian citizenship has been revoked, have been banned from entering Ukraine.