Kyiv police closed criminal proceedings against standup comedian Anton Stenyuk, who published a joke about Muslims, due to the lack of composition of the crime.

“The Investigative Department of the Shevchenko Police Department investigated the criminal proceedings initiated on October 1, 2024 on the fact of violation of equality of citizens depending on their religious beliefs on the part of Anton Stenyuk on the basis of a criminal offense provided for in Part 1 of Art. 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of equality of citizens depending on their race, nationality, religious beliefs, disability and other signs - IF-U)”, - the Investigative Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine reported in the response. Kiev at the request of the agency Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, it is noted that on December 6, 2024, according to the results of the pre-trial investigation, criminal proceedings were closed on the basis of paragraph 2 part 1 of Art. 284 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (criminal proceedings are closed if the absence of a criminal offense is established).

As reported, on September 25, a scandal broke out in social networks around one of the excerpts of a solo stand-up concert of comedian Anton Stenyuk.

“This war is just nonsense. I don't know how it happened that some Orthodox kill other Orthodox when there are still so many Muslims in the world. I am not saying that Muslims need to be killed, I am an adequate person, I understand that now is not the time. Moreover, the Jews are already doing this,” the comedian said in the speech.

For his part, the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov, the Mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Umma” Murat Suleymanov, as well as the former Mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Umma”, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Said Ismagilov in his social networks were outraged by the comedian's joke.

Later, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets said that he was asking the National Police to check the joke for incitement of religious hatred and insult to the feelings of believers.

In the evening of the same day, Anton Stenyuk posted a video message on Instagram, in which he publicly apologized for his joke about Muslims, and an excerpt of the video with this joke was deleted from social networks.

In its turn, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, in response to the scandal, called on public and cultural figures to take a responsible attitude towards topics that may affect intercultural and interreligious dialogue.