Court finds UOC community in Hilcha aggrieved party in religious conflict

St Nicholas community of the UOC near its church in Hilcha. Photo: rivne.church.ua

On November 10, 2022, the Zdolbuniv District Court (Rivne region) declared the St Nicholas religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Hilcha an aggrieved party in the conflict instigated by supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, reports the eparchy’s press service.

The Zdolbuniv District Court considered a complaint by UOC believers of the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Hilcha of the Zdolbuniv parish filed on the fact of the inaction of the investigator who refused to recognize the UOC religious community as an injured party. The witnesses in the case were heard at the hearing.

The result of the court hearing was the recognition of the UOC religious community as an aggrieved party. The court also acknowledged offences committed by the OCU community – falsification of documents that were used as a basis for the re-registration, which resulted in the exclusion of the UOC religious community from the USR; incitement of religious hatred; attempts to seize the church.

As reported, the OCU raiders attempted to seize the St. Nicholas Church in Hilcha in June 2022. At a meeting, the community reaffirmed its faithfulness to the UOC and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, and criminal proceedings were initiated against the OCU supporters. After this, Dumenko's followers distributed leaflets in the village denigrating the UOC clergy.

Earlier, a court ruled that the UOC community in Khoriv was an injured party in the religious conflict.

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