In Khmelnytskyi region, authorities attempt to forcibly seize a UOC parish church through court

On May 15, executors of the Khmelnytskyi Department of the State Executive Service enforced the decision of the Krasyliv District Court to remove obstacles in the use of the Holy Resurrection Church by the OCU community. This was reported by the news source «Day by Day.»

In 2022, the court ordered a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to vacate the Holy Resurrection Church in Krasyliv and provide free access to it to a «new religious community.»

According to the Ministry of Justice, «since the citizen of Ukraine refused to voluntarily comply with the court decision, the state executor took coercive measures. The enforcement of court decisions is a mandatory condition for upholding the rule of law and a guarantee of justice in a democratic society.»

At the same time, it is known that on April 10, 2023, 1,747 members of the religious community allegedly decided to change their subordination by transferring to the OCU.

However, on June 23, 2023, the rector of the Holy Resurrection Church did not grant the new «members of the parish council and religious community» access to the church to conduct an inventory of church property.

It is recalled that the Khmelnytskyi Court of Appeal issued a ruling legalizing the re-registration and raider seizure of the Holy Resurrection Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Krasyliv, Khmelnytskyi region, by representatives of the OCU. The court ordered the rector to leave the premises and not to obstruct the «new owners» from entering the church.