Court orders police to investigate violation of religious rights in Serkhov

The court has ordered the police to investigate violations of the rights of believers in the village of Serkhov

On April 10, 2019, the Lutsk District Court considered the claim of Archpriest Vasily Popovich, the rector of the Holy Protection Church community of the UOC of vlg. Serkhov of the Manevichi district, about the inaction of the Prosecutor of the Volyn region and ordered to start an investigation regarding the offences, reports the press service of the Volyn Eparchy.

The application was filed on April 1, 2019.

According to the applicant's complaint, the information in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations (URPTI) on Criminal Offences should be entered under the following articles:

Art. 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Violation of citizens' equality based on their race, nationality or religious preferences);

Art. 178 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Damage of religious architecture or houses of worship);

Art. 179 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Illegal maintenance, desecration or destruction of religious shrines);

Art. 180 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Preclusion of religious ceremonies);

Art. 295 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Calls to actions that pose a threat to the public order);

Art. 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Hooliganism);

Art. 341 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Capturing of government or public buildings or constructions);

Art. 356 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Unauthorized action);

Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Abuse of authority or office);

Art. 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Excess of authority or official powers).

The court found illegal the inaction of the Prosecutor of the Volyn region, who did not enter to the URPTI the information about the violation of the rights of the religious communities of the UOC and granted the claim of Archpriest Vasily Popovich.

We recall that in 2016 Archpriest Vasily Popovich received a medal for humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian military from the ‘Mothers of the World’ volunteer movement. Together with the volunteers, he was greeted by a military officer, a representative of the unit, to which the priest of the Volyn Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church delivered charitable aid collected by his parishioners.

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