A court in the Khmelnytskyi region of Ukraine sentenced the rector of a church in the Shepetivka Diocese of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), Archpriest Mykola Khlany, to four years in prison. He was found guilty of inciting religious hatred and supporting the actions of the Russian Federation. The court also banned the priest from holding church positions for three years after serving his sentence.

According to TASS, charges against Khlany were filed in April 2024, and in May, the case was transferred to court. In 2023, his house was searched as part of a criminal investigation. The investigation cited witness testimonies about the priest's criticism of the transfer of UOC parishes to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the activities of its leadership.

The UOC stated that Father Mykola was the rector of a parish that had been illegally re-registered with the OCU. Church representatives view the case as biased persecution, arguing that criticism of the OCU is treated as a crime, while hostile actions against the UOC remain unpunished.

Since 2014, pressure on the canonical UOC has increased in Ukraine. Authorities have refused to lease land for churches, supporters of the OCU, with the backing of local officials, have seized churches, and criminal cases have been opened against clergy members. In September 2024, a law banning the UOC came into effect in the country. However, according to Ukrainian authorities, about 5-6 million people still remain members of the UOC.