UOC assesses threats of Ivano-Frankivsk mayor to expel parish from its temple

The Synodal Legal Department of the UOC responded to the statements of the Ivano-Frankivsk mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv, in which he promises to evict believers from the city cathedral and noted that the official actually reveals an action plan for the near future, which gives the right to qualify his actions as “an attempt to commit criminal offenses.” This was reported by the Information and Educational Department of the UOC.

“As an official, he expresses his intention to 'evict' the believers of the religious community and the clergy of the UOC from the Cathedral in honor of the Nativity of Christ, located at the address: 2 O. Dovzhenko St., Ivano-Frankivsk, and to seize religious buildings, structures, property that equips these buildings and structures, property that serves to perform religious rites and other property that is located in the premises of the cathedral and belongs to the religious community of the UOC," says the Legal Department’s statement.

The document notes that from Martsinkiv's words it can be concluded that he is an organizer or a member of an organized group that previously organized into a stable association to commit criminal offenses, united by a single plan with the functions distributed among the group members, aimed at achieving this plan, which is known to all the participants in the group.

The Legal Department also emphasizes that the actions of officials are aimed at violating the equality of citizens based on their regional affiliation and religious beliefs, at inciting religious enmity and hatred, at humiliating and insulting the feelings of citizens based on their religious beliefs, as well as direct or indirect restriction of rights or the establishment of direct or indirect privileges of citizens on the basis of religious beliefs.

If the above actions are accompanied by violence, deceit or threats, or are committed by an official, then they are subject to qualification under Part 2, Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. If the actions provided for by parts one or two of this article are committed by an organized group of persons or entail grave consequences, they are subject to qualification under Part 3 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and in the event that an organized group commits any illegal actions that prevent the performance of a religious rite, such actions are subject to qualification under Article 180 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The statement recalls that unlawful obstruction of the performance of a religious rite or an incident that disrupted or jeopardized a religious rite falls under the signs of Part 1 of Article 180 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, while actions aimed at forcing a clergyman by physical or mental violence to conduct religious rites are regulated by Part 2 of Article 180.

The Legal Department of the UOC drew attention to the legislative consequences of the seizure of buildings or structures and the illegal appropriation of other people's property.

Recall, the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk Ruslan Martsinkiv said that he is determined to evict the parishioners of the UOC from the Cathedral.