Russian Metropolitan decorated by Putin, detained in the Czech Republic after containers of a white substance were found in his car
Metropolitan Hilarion was detained by Czech police for alleged possession of illegal substances, according to a statement posted on his Telegram channel on Monday, The Kyiv Independent reported.
The car carrying the cleric, whose secular name is Grigori Alfeiev and who headed the Russian Orthodox Church's foreign relations department from 2009 to 2022, was stopped by Czech police on Sunday after leaving the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary, a city in the west of the Czech Republic.
During the search, “four small containers with a white substance were found in the trunk,” according to the Telegram channel.
The Czech police stated that the action was based on an anonymous tip regarding a possible transport of drugs, without mentioning, however, the identity of the people involved, Novinky.cz reported.
Authorities have confirmed that two people have been detained, but no formal charges have yet been laid. The composition and origin of the substance is to be determined after expert assessment.
The reaction of the Russian priest
Metropolitan Hilarion, who in 2021 was decorated by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the “Aleksandr Nevski” Order, according to the website of the Russian Orthodox Church, denied any connection with the containers, Reuters notes.
He called for an independent investigation and accused the Czech police of not following the correct procedures during the search.
“Metropolitan Hilarion categorically denies any involvement in the illegal possession of prohibited substances and considers the incident a provocation,” according to his Telegram channel.
The message also states that the police did not tell him why the car was stopped and did not allow him to assist in the search.
At the same time, the statement claims that the incident was preceded by a long period of pressure on Hilarion and the Orthodox community he serves in the Czech city of Karlovy Vary, including anonymous and sometimes violent threats.
