Russia lodges formal protest over detention of Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion in Czech Republic

Russia's foreign ministry lodged a formal protest with the Czech chargé d'affaires over the detention of Orthodox Church hierarch Metropolitan Hilarion, TASS reported.

The ministry described the drug production and trafficking charges brought against Metropolitan Hilarion as "completely unfounded and absurd."

The protest marks an official escalation of Moscow's response to the case. Russia's foreign ministry called the charges baseless but did not provide further detail on the circumstances of the detention or when it occurred, according to TASS.

The case adds to a long list of diplomatic friction points between Moscow and Prague. The Czech Republic has not yet publicly responded to the Russian protest, according to the report.