Czech police release detained Russian metropolitan Ilarion, no charges filed
Czech police released metropolitan Ilarion and his driver, whom they had detained following the discovery of a banned substance in the vehicle. No charges have yet been filed.
Czech police release detained Russian metropolitan Ilarion, no charges filed
Czech police on Sunday detained Russian Orthodox metropolitan Ilarion, who serves as a priest in Karlovy Vary, and his driver. Both men were later released. No charges have been filed against them to date.
Police officers found four small containers with a white substance during a vehicle check. Testing confirmed that it was a banned substance, according to Lucie Šmoldasová, spokesperson for the Czech National Anti-Drug Centre. Police stopped the vehicle on the basis of an anonymous tip about possible drug trafficking.
Ilarion denies all guilt. A statement appeared on his Telegram channel saying that the mere discovery of the banned substance does not answer the key question of how the objects ended up in the car. According to the post, the defence will attempt to thoroughly investigate all circumstances of the case.
Metropolitan Ilarion long headed the foreign policy department of the Russian Orthodox Church. Following the repeated Russian invasion of Ukraine, he was transferred to Hungary, where he led the Budapest diocese. After his assistant accused him of sexual harassment in Hungary, he was transferred to the Czech Republic.
Czech and Hungarian media previously reported on Ilarion's alleged ties to Russian security services. A video was also released showing the metropolitan shooting at a firing range. According to a former colleague cited by Czech newspaper Deník N, Ilarion acknowledged that it was a firing range of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow.
Source: pmo.ee
Source: TVNET