Czech Authorities Detain Former Russian Church Official

Metropolitan Hilarion, a former senior official of the Russian Orthodox Church, has denied any connection to a suspicious white substance that Czech police say they found during an inspection of his car in Karlovy Vary. The cleric claims police violated procedures during the search and did not allow him to be present.

Hilarion, whose secular name is Grigory Alfeyev, described the incident as a provocation and called for an independent investigation. He said on Telegram that he and the Orthodox community in Karlovy Vary had faced long-standing pressure, anonymous threats and attacks.

Czech police confirmed they carried out the search following an anonymous tip but declined to provide further details, citing ongoing criminal proceedings.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the Czech authorities' actions fabricated and said she would summon a Czech diplomat in Moscow to lodge a protest.

(reuters, mja)