Ukraine cleric accused of glorifying Russia invasion given house arrest - church

Members of the State Security Service of Ukraine read an accusation letter to abbot of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Metropolitan Pavlo of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, accused of being linked to Moscow, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a compound of the monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine April 1, 2023. Press Service of the State Security Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS

KYIV (Reuters) - A top Ukrainian cleric from a church with alleged Moscow ties was sentenced to house arrest on Saturday after a hearing into whether he glorified invading Russian forces and stoked religious divisions, the church said.

Kyiv is cracking down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) on the grounds it is pro-Russian and collaborating with Moscow, a charge the church denies.