Lawyer speaks about political motives behind prosecution of UOJ journalists
Journalists from the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ) are being persecuted for political reasons. Photo: orda.kz
The lawyer for journalist Andriy Ovcharenko reminded the court that "the state, represented by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), had no right to protect one religious association while destroying the other."
In the lawyer's opinion, "the fact of criminal prosecution for political reasons is confirmed by the very formulations in the suspicion message."
The lawyer noted that this "suspicion" claims that "the goal of the criminal organization, in which Ovcharenko allegedly participated, was the destruction of all the attributes of the Ukrainian state, including the Orthodox Church of Ukraine."
"So, the investigation ascribes the religious association 'Orthodox Church of Ukraine' to the attributes of the Ukrainian state," the lawyer emphasized.
He reminded the court that "according to Article 20 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the state symbols of Ukraine are: the state flag, the state emblem, and the state anthem of Ukraine, while Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine establishes the principle of separation of the church and religious organizations from the state."
"Thus, the state, represented by the SBU, had no right to protect one religious association while destroying the other," the lawyer concluded.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the SBU did not provide reasons why a UOJ journalist should be in pretrial detention.
Read also
UOC hierarch takes part in consecration of Serbian monastery in Germany
Bishop Veniamin of Boyarka took part in the consecration of the restored monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Hildesheim.
International conference on theology and Church history held in Kharkiv
On October 9, the V International Conference on Theology and Church History, attended by guests from Europe, was held at the Kharkiv Theological Seminary of the UOC.
UOC Boryspil Eparchy priest's brother killed in war
In the village of Perevolochna, Chernihiv region, a funeral service was held for the soldier Roman Povkh, the brother of the rector of a UOC church in the village of Sadove.
TRC detains rector of UOC church in Mali Puzyrky village
A priest of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy with a heart condition was forced to undergo a medical commission and taken away to an unknown destination.
OCA renews fundraising for Ukrainian refugees in Poland
The Primate of the OCA has called on the faithful to show Christian mercy in practice and support Ukrainian displaced persons in Poland.
Kyiv residents split over renaming alley after Filaret
Forty-six percent of respondents opposed renaming an alley in central Kyiv after Filaret Denysenko.