Zolochiv believers’ rights to be protected at international level

The broken fence of priest Maxim Yoenko’s house in Zolochiv. Photo: facebook.com/mykola.danylevych

Human rights defenders of the NGO "Public Advocacy" stated that the intention of the Zolochiv authorities to continue the legal debate over the demands to demolish the fence of the priest's house in Zolochiv will become a telling example of the local authorities' religious intolerance towards the UOC and will become known in international human rights organizations. The lawyers stated this on their website.

Zolochiv authorities are ready to appeal to the administrative court after the closure of the case in the Zolochiv district court. This indicates a desire to continue the conflict with believers.

“In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, the local self-government body should provide the cleric with the opportunity to freely carry out divine services on his own territory,” said human rights activists. “However, this is not happening; various acts of discrimination and defamation, bordering on open persecution for their faith, continue to be committed against the cleric.”

In the comments, the human rights organization drew attention to the installation of video cameras that monitor the private territory of the priest and his family. Such surveillance is a criminal offence as it violates privacy.

Human rights defenders have pledged to make these abuses known to all leading international human rights organizations if the authorities continue to oppress the priest and his family.

As reported earlier, a criminal case was opened against the deputy who called for the expulsion of the UOC from Zolochiv.

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