The Khustka diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has issued a statement in connection with the forced mobilization of clergymen under its jurisdiction. The diocese is convinced that the actions of the TCC employees against the priests of the diocese are illegal. The relevant information is published on the official website of the Khust diocese.

It is reported that starting in mid-March 2024, employees of the military commission, violating the laws, mobilized two priests performing administrative duties in the Khustka diocese of the UOC – the secretary and the treasurer. Each of the described cases occurred in violation of the norms of Ukrainian legislation. For example, the treasurer of the diocese Archpriest John Petechel is the guardian of three underage children, and according to the law on mobilization it is expressly forbidden to mobilize such people. Moreover, the mobilization of the clergy took place in a “short time”. TCC employees actually restricted the freedom of the clergy by detaining them at military enlistment offices.

“Given the above, we draw the attention of public authorities, in whose jurisdiction is the issue of military registration and bodies called to exercise control over the legality of the actions of employees of state bodies on these events and ask to implement the proper protection of the clerics of the Khustka diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in a lawful manner”, – said in a statement of the Khust diocese of the UOC.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that on March 20, 2024 employees of Tyachiv TCC detained and took away in an unknown direction the secretary of Khustka diocese of the UOC Archpriest John Rozman. Later it turned out that the priest was sent to one of the training grounds for AFU soldiers. Later, on March 27, 2024, the Khustka diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reported the forced mobilization of another of its clergymen and diocesan treasurer, Archpriest John Petechel, who has many children.