Metropolitan Jonathan (Eletskikh) asks competent authorities to give legal assessment of journalist Mishchenko’s threats

The hierarchy of the Tulchin eparchy of the UOC may initiate an appeal to the Prosecutor General and the Security Service of Ukraine because of the threats to the Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav from the journalist Miroslava Mishchenko, reports the website of Metropolitan Jonathan (Eletskikh).

"In connection with the public blackmail and threats against Reverend Jonathan, Metropolitan of Tulchin and Bratslav, from the journalist Miroslava Mishchenko posted on her personal page on Facebook, the press service of the Tulchin eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church states that the hierarchy of the Tulchin eparchy reserves the right to seek recourse to prosecution authorities of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Security Service with a petition to give a legal assessment of the statement of the above-named person (and in the case of identification – of the actions of one who inspired this publication), in order to protect the right to freedom of expression and choice of religious and confessional jurisdiction, guaranteed by the Constitution and current laws of Ukraine," said in a statement.

As reported earlier, journalist Yaroslava Mishchenko urged the Security Service of Ukraine to "have a talk" with the UOC Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav in connection with a number of his articles published in the media. Otherwise, "he will be visited by radicals".