Chernivtsi City Council strips UOC communities of land use rights

A session of the Chernivtsi City Council 27 April 2023 Photo: the Chernivtsi City Council’s Facebook page
On 27 April 2023, the Chernivtsi City Council at its session decided to deprive the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the right to permanently use land plots, reports the press service of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy of the UOC.
According to the decision of the City Council, the land was taken away from 24 parishes and monasteries.
The deputies ignored the appeal of a Chernivtsi believer Tetiana Kashevko, who spoke at the session.
"Our defenders in the trenches are not divided on the ground of faith or language because they know that their strength is in unity, and we here in the rear must be united," Tetiana said. “Tens of thousands of UOC believers are defending their homeland with arms in their hands. Don't divide us by your decision into worthy and unworthy, into black and white, we are all Chernivtsi residents. Please, act only within your authority and in accordance with the law of Ukraine, without violating the rights guaranteed by the Constitution".
These words made part of the deputies laugh.
The press service of the eparchy points out that the City Council has grossly violated the law "On Local Self-Government in Ukraine". According to Chernivtsi lawyer Valeriy Dutka, the city authorities have no authority to deprive religious organizations of the right to use the land – this can only be done through a court if the organization violates the terms of using the plot and fails to eliminate these violations.
The deputy director of the Department of Urbanism and Architecture of the Chernivtsi City Council, Denys Hrechanyi, said in a commentary to suspilne.media that now the officials are checking whether there is the municipal property on the land plots used by the UOC communities. The department will prepare a separate draft resolution of the City Council regarding this property.
As reported, the Bila Tserkva city councillors decided to strip the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of its rights to land plots and also voted for the transfer of the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral of the UOC to the city authorities.
Read also

US Congressman condemns terror against Christians in Syria
Ryan McKenzie noted that Syrian Christians are an example of faith confession.
Another archbishop, Mikael Ajapakhyan, detained in Armenia
A criminal case has been initiated against a bishop of the Armenian Church on the charges of “public calls for the seizure of power”.
USA court allows parents to opt children out from LGBT lessons
Religious parents have achieved the opportunity for their children not to attend classes where "one-sided transgender ideology is promoted".
Kyiv Metropolis's ties with ROC will ban all parishes, DESS expert
In practice, a mass ban on UOC communities is possible solely based on the official position of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) regarding the "connection" of the Kyiv Metropolis with the ROC.
No letters to ROC from UOC clergy will help, DESS expert
Dmytro Vovk commented on Yelensky's statement that a letter from UOC priests to the ROC is sufficient for recognizing the withdrawal of parishes from the organisation.
DESS Expert: UOC ban contradicts international law
The state authorities are trying to ban the UOC based on canonical rather than administrative ties, explains Dmytro Vovk.