Metropolitan Hilarion (cocaine was found in his car in the Czech Republic) filed a lawsuit against Dozhdtranslated

Metropolitan Hilarion (Grigory Alfeev) filed a lawsuit in Moscow against the Dozhd TV channel for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation. The case file was discovered by RBC.

The application was received by the Ostankino District Court of Moscow on September 9. The essence of the claims is not explained in the case materials. Hilarion declined to comment to RBC.

Metropolitan Hilarion is the former head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and a former member of the synod (the highest governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church). In 2022, he became Metropolitan of Budapest and Hungary.

In 2024, former cell attendant George Suzuki accused him of harassment, after which Hilarion was sent to serve as an ordinary priest in Karlovy Vary.

In May 2026, the car in which Hilarion was traveling was stopped by Czech law enforcement officers. “Four small containers containing a white substance” were found in the car. Czech police later said the containers contained cocaine.

Hilarion was also detained, but was soon released without charges. At the end of May he returned to Russia. In June it was reported that the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, was sending Hilarion to serve in Brazil. However, in July the Russian Orthodox Church announced that he would remain...