Law enforcement agencies have launched an investigation into the case of forced mobilization of priests of the Khustka diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who were forcibly detained by local representatives of the TAC and sent to a training ground for AFU soldiers, despite the fact that both priests have many children and cannot be called up for military service according to the laws of Ukraine. The criminal case was opened on the appeal of the people’s Deputy of Ukraine Artyom Dmitruk.

“I would like to remind you that recently the TAC officers kidnapped Archpriest John Petechel, a father with many children, and Archpriest John Rozman, who was caring for his wife who was ill after a stroke. Both clergymen had every legitimate reason not to be drafted. TAC officers, who imagined themselves a separate caste of the state, kidnapped and took the priests to an unknown destination. Later it became known that the clerics were on the territory of the AFU military units”, – the MP said.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that on March 20, 2024 employees of Tyachiv TAC detained and took away in an unknown direction the secretary of Khust 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 Khust 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.