Mass Media: A criminal case initiated on transfer of Pochaev Lavra to UOC

The Pochaev Lavra

The Ternopol region police opened criminal proceedings on the fact of the transfer of the buildings of the Pochaev Holy Dormition Lavra for use or lease to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports “Ukrinform” on November 15.

The Ternopil Region Prosecutor's Office responded to the request of “Ukrinform” regarding the transfer of the buildings of the Pochaev Lavra to the UOC.

“The Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Ternopol region is investigating criminal proceedings on the grounds of a criminal offence under Part 3 of Art. 365-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, on abuse of authority by a public service provider, entailing serious consequences. The Prosecutor's Office of the region is to guide the procedural aspects,” the department said.

Earlier, the deputy of the Pochaev City Council Taras Palianitsa stated that the transfer of six buildings of the Pochaev Lavra to the UOC for use until 2052 was illegal. In 2016, the Ternopol Region Council addressed the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a request to take away the Pochaev Lavra from the UOC and return to it the status of a state reserve.

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