Archbishop Markell at UN says pressure on Orthodox Church of Moldova

The hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, Archbishop Markell of Balti and Falesti, addressed the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he stated that the rights of the OCM believers were violated by the authorities of the country. In his address he mentioned political pressure, restriction of freedom of movement and attempts to seize church property, calling on the international community to pay attention to the situation. This is reported by the Communication Service of the Russian Orthodox Church’s DECR.

The address took place on September 23, 2025. According to the archbishop, the top leadership of the country puts pressure on the Church. “We are extremely concerned about the position of the Moldovan authorities in relation to our confession. Thus, just recently the President of Moldova Maia Sandu groundlessly called our Church “an instrument of influence of the Russian Federation”,” said Archbishop Markell.

In addition, the representative of the Church reported the violation of the right to freedom of movement. He emphasized that believers are subjected to lengthy searches when crossing the border, and some clergymen are actually blocked from leaving the country. “I have been prevented from leaving Moldova three times without any grounds, ” the bishop shared his personal experience.

Of particular concern, according to the speaker, are the cases of violent attempts to transfer parishes to another religious jurisdiction, as well as the judicial process aimed at seizing more than 800 monastery and church buildings from the Church. In conclusion, Archbishop Markell asked UN mandate holders to consider the complaints filed and to ensure international diplomatic attention to the problems of believers in Moldova. He recalled that the structures of the Russian Orthodox Church operate freely in all the countries of the European Union, to which Moldova aspires, and urged the authorities to bring their policy in line with international standards of human rights protection.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that the European Parliament held hearings on the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, during which there were accusations against the Russian Orthodox Church of hybrid warfare and espionage, as well as calls for the expulsion of its clergy from the EU countries. At a meeting of the European Shield for Democracy Commission, a heated debate broke out between supporters of tough measures and MPs who spoke in defense of Orthodoxy.