Chernivtsi cathedral parish files complaint against deputy head of city police

Kishlar surrounded by OCU militants during the seizure of the Chernivtsi cathedral. Photo: UOJ

The community of the UOC cathedral in Chernivtsi has submitted an official statement to the Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigation in Khmelnytskyi, demanding the initiation of a criminal case against Sviatoslav Anatoliyovych Kishlar, Deputy Head of the Main Department of the National Police of Chernivtsi Region, and other law enforcement officials. The UOJ received a copy of the text.

In the statement, submitted in accordance with Article 214 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, the actions of the police are qualified as abuse of power or official authority (Part 2 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The community claims that during the incident on June 17, high-ranking law enforcement officials not only witnessed the use of physical violence against the faithful but actually condoned these actions by failing to take measures to stop them.

According to the document, at least six people were injured as a result of the incident: Valentyna Volodymyrivna Storenko, Roman Mykhailovych Forost, Vitaliy Anatoliiovych Honchariuk, Karp Kostiantynovych Domtrashchuk, Heorhiy Dmytrovych Popovych, Dmytro Vasylovych Lakusta, and others. All of them received medical assistance. Particular emphasis is placed on the brutal beating of the UOC priest Roman Forosta by unknown individuals.

The statement highlights that the actions of the officials clearly exceeded their granted authority and contradicted the legally protected rights and interests of citizens. The applicants demand that the information be immediately entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations, a full criminal proceeding be initiated, and all necessary information about the progress of the investigation be provided to the applicant.

The statement is accompanied by photo and video evidence of the incident, and additional eyewitness testimonies have been promised. According to Ukrainian law, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is obligated to accept the statement and enter the relevant information into the register within 24 hours to initiate an investigation. Refusal to register such statements is not permitted by law.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the cathedral community in Chernivtsi sought protection from the President and the Ombudsman.

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