Archbishop Markell in Geneva Speaks Out on Violations of the Rights of Believers of the Orthodox Church of Moldova

Archbishop Markell of Bălți and Fălești delivered a report on violations of the rights of believers of the Orthodox Church of Moldova (OCM) during the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. His participation in the international forum was made possible through his membership in the human rights alliance «Church Against Xenophobia and Discrimination.» As part of this alliance, the Archbishop received permanent accreditation at the UN headquarters in Geneva. This accreditation grants him the right to make oral statements at UN events and to submit written reports on behalf of member human rights organizations of the Alliance. This was reported by the Moldovan news portal eNews.md.

In connection with the beginning of his international human rights activity, Archbishop Markell was also granted UN human rights defender status, in accordance with international standards for the support of human rights advocacy.

In his speech, Archbishop Markell highlighted several key problems faced by the faithful of the OCM. He specifically drew attention to attempts by state authorities to seize church property, restrictions on the freedom of movement of believers, and the unjustified imposition of administrative fines under the pretext of «electoral corruption.»

The Archbishop expressed hope that the Moldovan authorities will reconsider their policy toward religious citizens and return to compliance with international standards of religious freedom and human rights.

It is worth noting that the editorial team of Raskolam.net spoke with Archbishop Markell about the church situation in Moldova, the role of the Moldovan government and the Romanian Patriarchate, and whether the religious crisis in Moldova and Ukraine might serve as a catalyst for addressing long-standing issues within global Orthodoxy.