Lviv State police continue to pressurize the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the region

Law enforcers in Lviv Region are investigating two criminal proceedings related to the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The criminal prosecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the region concerns the activities of the canonical Church, which is trying to be completely banned in the region. This, as the Variany publication reports, was stated by the head of the department of preventive activities of the National Police Department in Lviv region, Oleksandr Savchuk, during the session of the Lviv regional council.

As of today, law enforcers have entered information into the Unified register of court decisions on two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The first case concerns the illegal construction of a religious building on a private plot of land at 28 Promyshlennaya Street in Skhidnytsya, Drohobych district, where worship services were systematically held. This is qualified under part 1 of article 275 of the CCU (Violation of rules concerning the safe use of industrial products or safe operation of buildings and structures).

The second proceeding is related to damage to the object of cultural heritage – the church and bell tower in the village of Vidnev in Lviv district. Here, repair works were carried out without proper authorization documents, which falls under part 2 of Art. 298 of the CCU (CCU). 2 of Article 298 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (willful illegal destruction, destruction or damage of cultural heritage objects or their parts).

Oleksandr Savchuk stressed that currently no religious organization of the UOC, which would conduct public worship services, is registered on the territory of Lviv region. However, according to him, the police cannot interfere in the meetings held “at home”, as they act solely within the framework of the current legislation, which provides for free worship according to Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that in Lviv journalists of the local NTA TV channel released a report in which they revealed the addresses of private apartments used for worship services by believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The film crew had been following the clergy and parishioners for a year, accusing them of anti-Ukrainian activities and calling them “FSB agents” and “potential assassins”.