Russian Orthodox cleric denies link to white substance found in car by Czech police

LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) – A former senior cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church said on Monday that Czech police “found small containers containing a white substance in his car” during a search a day earlier, denying any connection to the substances.

Metropolitan Hilarion, whose secular name is Grigory Alfeyev and who headed the church’s external affairs from 2009 to 2022, accused the police of not following correct procedure during the search in the Czech Republic and called for an independent investigation.

“He also categorically denies any involvement in the illegal possession of banned substances and sees what happened as a provocation,” a post on his Telegram page said.

The Telegram post stated that police did not inform Hilarion why his vehicle was stopped and did not allow him to witness the search.

The incident was preceded by prolonged pressure, including anonymous and sometimes violent threats, on Hilarion and the Orthodox community he served in the Czech town of Karlovy Vary, the statement said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement that Moscow demands the immediate release of Hilarion and the end of the “fabricated” investigations against him.

“The head of the Czech diplomatic mission in Moscow will shortly be summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where there will be a strong protest about the unacceptable bullying of the Czech authorities,” he said.

Responding to a request for comment, a spokesman for the Czech police’s National Drug Directorate said the agency conducted a search after receiving an anonymous tip.

He did not comment directly on whether a substance was found or the identities of those involved or provide further details, citing ongoing criminal proceedings.

(Edited by Bernadette Baum, Rod Nickel)