---
title: "Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Distances Himself from Markovich's Bail for Mudra and Condemns Surge in Antisemitism"
description: "Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Moshe Asman stated that Rabbi Markovich's bail for former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra was a personal initiative, not the community's position, and condemned the surge in antisemitism."
date: 2026-08-25T16:40:06.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/chief-rabbi-asman-on-markovichs-bail-for-mudra
tags: [ukraine, jewish-community, court, irina-mudruya, religion]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Distances Himself from Markovich's Bail for Mudra and Condemns Surge in Antisemitism

![Chief Rabbi of Ukraine in a black hat and long grey beard at a table, commenting on the rise of antisemitism and distancing himself from Markovych's defense of Mudra](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/26/ravvin-asman-o-zastupnichestve-markovicha-za-mudruyu/ravvin-asman-o-zastupnichestve-markovicha-za-mudruyu-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Moshe Asman stated that Rabbi Markovich's bail for Iryna Mudra was his personal initiative, not the position of the Jewish community.
- Asman called the mixing of religious and judicial roles erroneous and categorically did not support it.
- Ukraine's Chief Rabbi condemned the wave of antisemitism that arose around Markovich's decision and called for unity amid the war.
- On August 25, the court selected detention for Mudra, with the possibility of bail in the amount of 20 million hryvnia.

A debate has erupted in Ukrainian society over the involvement of a religious leader in a high-profile court case. At a hearing on August 24, the Chief Rabbi of Kyiv, Yonatan Markovich, was present in court and asked to be named as bail for the defendant — former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Iryna Mudra. Law enforcement suspects her of participating in a scheme to launder funds obtained illegally, with the proceeds then directed toward bail for former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. On August 25, the court selected detention as Mudra's preventive measure, with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 20 million hryvnia. Against this backdrop, a reaction emerged from the country's top religious leadership.

### A Personal Initiative, Not the Community's Position

In a comment in response to a request from RBC-Ukraine, Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Moshe Reuven Asman emphasized that Rabbi Markovich's statement of willingness to act as bail was his own personal initiative and does not reflect the position of the Jewish community as a whole. According to Asman, when a person in a high-profile court case draws attention to their religious status, those around them perceive it as leveraging the authority of the entire religious community.

### Criticism of the "Mixing of Roles"

Moshe Reuven Asman openly called such an approach erroneous and stated that he categorically does not support the mixing of religious and judicial roles. Ukraine's Chief Rabbi noted that religious leaders should strengthen unity, support people, and foster public understanding, rather than dragging religious communities into political and judicial confrontations. "The law must be the same for everyone. Responsibility must be personal," he concluded.

### Condemnation of the Wave of Antisemitism

Separately, Asman categorically condemned the wave of antisemitism that arose in connection with Yonatan Markovich's decision. He stated that no single rabbi's action gives anyone the right to insult the Jewish people, spread antisemitic stereotypes, or blame an entire community. In his words, substituting hate based on national identity for reasoned criticism "has nothing to do with justice," and antisemitism "cannot have any justification."

### Call for Unity Amid War

Concluding his comment, Ukraine's Chief Rabbi noted that in the conditions of a full-scale war, Ukrainians must unite rather than seek reasons for mutual discord. His words sounded as an attempt to draw a line between the personal responsibility of a specific individual in court and the inadmissibility of transferring the conflict onto the entire religious community, as well as a call for dialogue instead of the escalation of nationalist sentiments.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Reacts Sharply to Markovich's Decision to Post Bail for Mudra](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/golovniy-rabin-ukrayini-zhorstko-vidreaguvav-1787675486.html) - Подтверждает цитаты Моше Реувена Асмана о личной инициативе Марковича, критике смешения ролей и осуждении антисемитизма; согласуется с судебным контекстом дела Мудрой.
- [Chief Rabbi Asman: Israel Is Helping Ukraine, but One Can Try to Do More](https://mignews.com/news/interview/glavnyj-ravvin-asman-izrail-pomogaet-ukraine-no-mozhno-pytatsya-bolshe.html) - Архивное интервью, не относится к факту заступничества; использовано лишь для идентификации спикера.
- [Chief Rabbi Moshe Asman: A Jewish President in Ukraine Is a Thorn in Russia's Side](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2022/09/02/7365744/) - Материал 2022 г., к текущему факту не относится.
- [Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Called on Russian Jews Mobilized into the Russian Army to Surrender](https://www.newsru.co.il/world/7oct2022/asman809.html) - Материал 2022 г., к текущему факту не относится.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who stated that Markovich's bail does not reflect the position of the Jewish community?
**A:** This was stated by Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Moshe Reuven Asman in a comment in response to a request from RBC-Ukraine.

### Q: What preventive measure was selected for Iryna Mudra?
**A:** On August 25, the court selected detention for her, with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 20 million hryvnia.

### Q: How did Asman react to the wave of antisemitism around the case?
**A:** He categorically condemned it, stating that a single rabbi's action gives no one the right to insult the Jewish people or blame an entire community.