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Czech police detain Russian priest over ‘white substance’ find
TL;DR
Czech police have detained Russian Orthodox Bishop Hilarion after discovering four containers of a suspicious white substance in his car. The arrest has led to accusations of provocation from Moscow against the Czech government.
Key points
- Czech police detained Russian Orthodox Bishop Hilarion.
- Four containers of a suspicious white substance were found in his car.
- The arrest has sparked claims of provocation from Moscow.
- Bishop Hilarion denies any involvement in drug possession.
- He leads the Russian Orthodox Church’s congregation in Karlovy Vary.
Mentioned in this story
Bishop HilarionGrigory AlfeyevKarlovy VaryRussian Orthodox Church
Czech police have detained a Russian cleric after four containers of a suspicious white substance were discovered in his car.
Orthodox Bishop Hilarion was detained in the town of Karlovy Vary, according to a statement released on his Telegram channel by his defence team on Monday.
The arrest sparked claims of provocation from Moscow against Czechia’s government, despite Prague having reduced its support for Ukraine since it took office six months ago.
Bishop Hilarion, 60, whose secular name is Grigory Alfeyev, heads the Russian Orthodox Church’s congregation in the western town, which hosts a sizeable Russian diaspora.
The cleric denied any involvement in drug possession. “I have no connection and have never had any connection to the illegal trafficking of narcotic substances,” he said in the statement.
Czech police said only that a man was detained on Sunday evening on a highway between Karlovy Vary and Prague, adding that interrogations were under way and no one had been charged, without disclosing the detainee’s identity.
The Czech Drug Enforcement Centre said it had also acted on an anonymous tip-off reporting the transport of narcotic and psychotropic substances.
Hilarion’s defence said police offered no clear reason for stopping the vehicle and that two patrol cars appeared to be waiting for it on the road.
Hilarion was not permitted to observe the search, his lawyer said, adding that the defence was demanding independent forensic analysis of the substance along with fingerprint and DNA checks.
‘Provocation’
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the incident an “orchestrated provocation” aimed at discrediting Hilarion, and demanded his immediate release.
“The head of the Czech diplomatic mission in Moscow will shortly be summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where a strong protest will be lodged regarding the unacceptable high-handedness of the Czech authorities,” she said.
Russian media reported that the detention followed months of anonymous threats against Hilarion, including threats of physical violence demanding he leave his post in Karlovy Vary.
Hilarion was once considered the right-hand man of Patriarch Kirill – the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a pillar of support for President Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine.
However, the priest reportedly fell out of favour with Moscow’s spiritual authorities and was sent abroad in 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion.
Q&A
What led to the detention of Bishop Hilarion in Czechia?
Bishop Hilarion was detained after four containers of a suspicious white substance were found in his car.
What is the response from Moscow regarding the arrest of the Russian priest?
Moscow has accused the Czech government of provocation following the detention of Bishop Hilarion.
Who is Bishop Hilarion and what is his role in the Russian Orthodox Church?
Bishop Hilarion, also known as Grigory Alfeyev, heads the Russian Orthodox Church’s congregation in Karlovy Vary, which serves a significant Russian diaspora.
