No investigation a year after church seizure in Tovtry – Chernivtsi Eparchy

On May 18, 2019, OCU activists seized the UOC church in Tovtry. Photo: UOJ

Activists of the OCU seized the Holy Dormition Church of the UOC in the village of Tovtry a year ago, and throughout that time the National Police of Ukraine has still failed to open an investigation, the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy said on its Facebook page.

The eparchy stated that the Chernivtsi Regional State Administration had likewise failed to investigate the alleged falsification of documents and the unlawful order issued by acting head of the regional administration Mykhailo Pavliuk on the forced re-registration of the parish into the OCU.

There is still no court ruling on the lawsuit seeking to cancel the illegal re-registration.

“Draw your own conclusions… In the video, you can see officers of the National Police – around 10 to 12 of them – forming a corridor and ensuring the safety of the thieves who are cutting off the locks with an angle grinder. In its 136-year history, the Holy Dormition Church of the UOC in the village of Tovtry, in Bukovyna, has never seen such desecration,” the eparchy said.

On May 18, 2019, supporters of the OCU seized the shrine of the canonical Church in Tovtry.

On November 7 of the same year, UOC faithful from five villages in Chernivtsi region, including Tovtry, met with the head of the regional police department and reported instances of police inaction and unlawful conduct.

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