At the suggestion of Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, the Czech government approved the inclusion of head of the Russian Orthodox Church Vladimir Gundyaev, known as Patriarch Kirill, on the national sanctions list, the Czech Foreign Ministry said on its website on Wednesday.

"Gundyaev is on the sanctions list precisely because faith cannot be abused to justify the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Due to the frequent public appearances of this person, all information is available in public sources. I can assure you that the evidence package contains more than a hundred pages," he said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the condition for inclusion in the national sanctions list is the commission by a person of actions punishable in accordance with one of the EU sanctions regimes, and if this is in the interests of the foreign policy or security of the Czech Republic. In this particular case, the Czech Foreign Ministry said, actions that violate or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine have been documented.

"Sanctions against this person have already been approved, for example, by Great Britain, Canada, Lithuania or Ukraine," Lipavský said.

Inclusion in the national sanctions list means a ban on entry and the impossibility for a person to receive funds from the Czech Republic. The Department of Financial Analysis of the Ministry of Finance is responsible for the implementation of measures aimed at freezing assets, in particular real estate in the Czech Republic.