Right-wing radicals disrupt court hearings on church affiliation in Kotiuzhyny

On April 28, the Zbarazh District Court was to consider a criminal case about the seizure of the St. Stephen, the First Martyr Church of the UOC in the village of Kotiuzhyny, Ternopil region. According to a UOJ source, the proceedings were postponed because of the scandalous behavior of right-wing radicals who arrived in court.

The aggrieved party in the criminal case of the church seizure is the rector of the church in Kotiuzhyny, Fr. Alexander Kantitsky.

"The hearing of the case was postponed until May 3," – Fr. Alexander said. – The behavior of the supporters of the Kiev Patriarchate who arrived in court was unacceptable: they shouted such curses in my address that I do not want to repeat them. They threatened me with reprisals and demanded that I immediately "get out of the village." Next to me was an investigator, only this fact did not allow them to move to assault."

The rector of the St. Stephan Church also said that the lawyer of the UOC community in Kotyuzhyny initiated a trial over the forgery of documents by the Kiev Patriarchate. The dissenters applied for the re-registration of the UOC community, while referring to the minutes of the meeting, where, allegedly, the community and the rector voluntarily decided on the transition.

The community of the UOC conducts divine services in a parsonage. The nationalists threaten that soon they will grab it too.

The UOJ is closely following the developments.