Union of Orthodox Lawyers reports on criminal cases in Zolochiv

Zolochiv "veche" at the house of the UOC priest, Fr Maksim Yoenko. Photo: for-ua.com

Two criminal cases were initiated on the fact of crimes of the city authorities of Zolochiv and radicals against the priest of the UOC priest, Fr Maxim Yoenko, and his wife Olga, reports the Union of Orthodox Lawyers on their Telegram channel.

Zolochiv police are investigating two criminal offences: under Part 2 of Art. 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (group hooliganism), and under Part 1 of Art. 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (intentional actions aimed at inciting religious hatred).

As part of the group hooliganism case, a number of expert examinations were ordered to identify the attackers on the priest's household and prove their guilt. The investigation is not over yet.

The main defendants in the case of inciting religious hatred are the mayor and the deputy corps of Zolochiv.

"In this case, at the request of the lawyers of the victims, a number of investigative actions were carried out by the end of 2020, aimed at fixing the crime and collecting evidence," the lawyers said.

The UOL lawyers noted that the mayor of Zolochev, Ihor Grynkiv, a number of deputies and employees of the Zolochiv Town Council could be forcibly brought in for questioning since they are not willing to provide testimony.

As reported, the Union of Orthodox Lawyers declared the protection of the rights of the UOC community in Zolochiv.

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