Czechs ban Moscow Patriarch Kirill for justifying Russian atrocities in Ukraine

Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia Kirill, who technically leads the Russian Orthodox Church and informally, but quite obviously serves as Putin’s regime’s puppet, has repeatedly shown his support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He has now been sanctioned by the Czech Republic after being put on their “naughty list.”

Kirill cannot undertake any financial transactions through Czech intermediaries because his name is on the list of sanctioned people and organizations, and whatever assets he may have in the nation are currently frozen.

The United Kingdom, Canada, Ukraine, and Lithuania have already imposed sanctions on the Patriarch, according to Czech FM Jan Lipavsk.

The so-called Magnitsky Act, which took effect at the beginning of the year, is what allowed for the imposition of the sanctions.

The Magnitsky Act enables the imposition of national sanctions against people and organizations that, like Kirill, are not targeted by the EU. The cabinet decides whether to impose sanctions after the foreign minister makes a recommendation.

Restrictions that apply to the entire EU are given priority, but the Magnitsky Act permits the imposition of more extensive restrictions than those chosen by Brussels.

According to the CTK news agency, Hungary objected to Kirill receiving sanctions from the EU as a whole, so it was decided to impose the sanctions against him.