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Czech police detain Russian priest over ‘white substance’ find

Al Jazeera · May 25, 2026, 8:55 PM

Key takeaways

  • Moscow condemned the action of the Czech police, calling the detainment a ‘provocation’.
  • Orthodox Bishop Hilarion was detained in the town of Karlovy Vary, according to a statement released on his Telegram channel by his defence team on Monday.
  • The arrest sparked claims of provocation from Moscow against Czechia’s government, despite Prague having reduced its support for Ukraine since it took office six months ago.

Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.

Moscow condemned the action of the Czech police, calling the detainment a ‘provocation’.

xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Russian Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev in Budapest in Hungary, September 2021.[Noemi Bruzak/EPA]By Heba Habib and AFPPublished On 25 May 202625 May 2026Czech police have detained a Russian cleric after four containers of a suspicious white substance were discovered in his car.

Orthodox Bishop Hilarion was detained in the town of Karlovy Vary, according to a statement released on his Telegram channel by his defence team on Monday.

Article preview — originally published by Al Jazeera. Full story at the source.
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