WORLD · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion Files Lawsuit Against TV Rain Amid Ongoing Controversies
WHY IT MATTERS
The lawsuit signals escalating legal and reputational pressure on Hilarion, potentially affecting his standing within the Russian Orthodox Church and influencing future assignments and public perception of the institution.
What happened
Metropolitan Hilarion (Grigory Alfeyev) filed a lawsuit in Moscow’s Ostankinsky District Court on September 9, accusing TV Rain of harming his honor, dignity and reputation. The court record does not detail the complaint, and Hilarion has declined to comment.
He previously led the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations and served on the Synod before becoming Metropolitan of Budapest and Hungary in 2022. In 2024, his former aide accused him of sexual harassment, prompting his reassignment to Karlovy Vary.
In May 2026 Czech police seized four small containers of cocaine from a car he was traveling in; he was detained and released without charge and returned to Russia later that month. Church reports in June suggested a transfer to Brazil, but by July the decision was reversed and he will remain in Russia.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Russian Orthodox cleric caught up in Czech cocaine case sues independent broadcaster TV Rain
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