Lawyer Valery Dutka noted that the decision to terminate the right to use land for the UOC would have no practical consequences. This was reported by the Telegram channel of the Chernivtsi-Bukovina diocese of the UOC.

By law, the city council cannot deprive the right of permanent use of land by the decision of the deputies – this can be done by the court. It is also very likely that the religious community will appeal against the city council’s decision through the courts.

According to the lawyer, the procedure for terminating the right to use land is provided for in the Land Code. According to the procedure, the inspector fixes the violation of the conditions of permanent use and provides an order to eliminate it within 30 days. Only after that, the city council can file a lawsuit in court to terminate the right of permanent use. Such a violation of the conditions may be misuse of the land.

“Land users are protected by law. If a land plot was granted for use, if it is used for its intended purpose, then there is no violation. Therefore, there are no legal grounds for deprivation of the right to use,” says Valery Dutka.

Also, if the right to use the UOC is taken away through the court, they will not be deprived of access to churches due to the registration of easements, says Valery Dutka. This is possible, since temples, buildings and structures on the territories of communal property still belong to religious communities.