Two Russian Orthodox hieromonks (monks who are also priests in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism) had criminal cases opened against them for opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine on religious grounds.

They are the first known members of the clergy to be prosecuted for protesting the war from a religious perspective, although other members have been charged with minor administrative offences. If found guilty, they could face jail time or very large fines.

The articles on which the accusations against the priests are based are analyzed after the cases, alongside a general notion of the legislation that the Russian government is using to suppress any internal opposition to the war.

Source: ovd.news