Khmelnytsky authorities take two more land plots from the UOC

On October 31, 2022, the deputies of the Khmelnytsky City Council at an extraordinary session decided to terminate the right to permanent use of land plots of two religious communities of the Khmelnytsky diocese of the UOC. It is reported by glavcom.ua.

The right to use the communities of the UOC in two areas is terminated: at 48 Pidmohylnoho St. (formerly Chekhov St.), where the community was going to build a temple of Demetrius of Thessaloniki, and at 6/G Instytutska St., where the community also planned to build a temple. The total area of the plots is 0.25 ha.

The decision to seize plots from the UOC was made unanimously: it was supported by 34 deputies. The initiator of the consideration is the permanent commission on urban planning, land relations and environmental protection acting within the Khmelnytsky City Council.

At the meeting of the commission, the deputies expressed their readiness to return the land to the religious communities, provided they leave the UOC and join the OCU.

The decision of the session notes that the deputies were guided by the law of Ukraine “On freedom of conscience and religious organizations” and the decision of the extraordinary 17th session of the Khmelnytsky City Council of June 17, 2022.

Recall that on August 26, 2022, the Khmelnytsky City Council decided to confiscate a land plot from the community of the UOC of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia in Ozerna microdistrict, where a temporary temple was built. The deputies recognized the building as illegal and demanded that the temple be demolished.

As the UOJ wrote, the Khmelnitsky Regional Council demanded to ban the UOC in Ukraine.

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