Court obliges Migration Service to restore citizenship to Bishop Gedeon

Abbot of the Tithe Monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Bishop Gedeon (Kharon). Photo: news.church.ua

On January 22, 202, the Sixth Court of Appeal decided that the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Volyn Region was obliged to restore Ukrainian citizenship to the UOC Hierarch, Bishop Gedeon (Kharon). This was reported by the online edition of Ukrayinska Pravda.

The Court of Appeal also admitted that the Migration Service did not have the right to annul the decision to obtain the citizenship by His Grace Gedeon by territorial origin in accordance with Part 1 of Article 8 of the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine”.

Despite the fact that the court decision on the appeal of Bishop Gedeon came into force on the day of its adoption, the Migration Service may still challenge it.

Recall that on February 13, 2019, Bishop Gedeon was deported from Ukraine after his visit to the United States, where he held a working meeting with the government congressmen. During the meeting, the hierarch widely covered the situation related to the violation of the rights of believing Ukrainians and also spoke about the mass seizures of UOC temples, the beatings of believers and the persecution of clergy by radical organizations. After that, on February 18, 2019, the SBU Chairman, Vasily Gritsak, announced that the vicar of the Kiev Metropolis was banned from entering Ukraine, as he allegedly has 3 passports.

Later, Vladyka Gedeon filed a lawsuit against the Office of the State Migration Service in Volyn Region. The Hierarch demanded that the decision of the Office of the Migration Service of June 21, 2018, which deprived him of Ukrainian citizenship, be declared unlawful.

The Kiev District Administrative Court began proceedings on April 23, 2019. After 4 months, on September 19, 2019, the Court decided in favor of the hierarch of the UOC and ruled not only to return his citizenship but also to reimburse the financial costs of the court fee.

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