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Yet again, the Macedonian judiciary acted in an unmerciful manner. According to human rights activists, when a person has suffered through two trials and sentences, having to stand trial again for a third time is clearly a human rights violation. Indeed, things seem to be out of control. In the last ten years, His Beatitude Metropolitan-Archbishop Jovan Vraniškovski of Ohrid and Skopje has been in prison six times. Now, whilst he sits in prison, the Procuratorate is starting another process against him. It seems obvious that nobody in Macedonia faced trial and imprisonment so many times in the last ten years. Undoubtedly, it’s a case of political persecution, which makes our country a semi-democratic state. On 8 June 2012, Archbishop Jovan, who has diabetes and serious spinal problems, was transferred from Idrizovo Prison to the Šuto Orizari Prison under cruel conditions… he must spend 23 hours confined to his cell, allowed only one hour of exercise each day in the fresh air. We appeal to the court to show good sense and mercy, because it’s obvious that freedom of belief doesn’t merit imprisonment in a democratic society.
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In the eyes of the public, the actions of the court towards His Beatitude Metropolitan-Archbishop Jovan Vraniškovski of Ohrid and Skopje are a form of torture not normally seen in 21st century Europe. Despite the fact that he was always available to the Procuratorate, as he was in Idrizovo Prison, on 8 June, they moved Archbishop Jovan to Šuto Orizari Prison, under exceptionally severe conditions. The court only allowed his mother and sister to visit Archbishop Jovan and bring him medicine and food, even though the Archbishop has serious health problems. On 11 June, since the Procuratorate started an investigation against them, the court, in a harsh ruling, prohibited both his mother and sister to visit him at the prison. Hence, no one whatsoever who’s close to Archbishop Jovan is allowed to visit him, to see if he’s healthy or if he needs anything, although the prison surely wouldn’t him to leave him to rot. Even when they punish, great civilisations show humanity, and demonstrate compassion and mercy. Unfortunately, in the case of Archbishop Jovan, due to his religious convictions, the authorities demonstrate their small-mindedness and soullessness; it’s self-evident that they mistreat Archbishop Jovan with the intent of harming him.
11/12 June 2012
Official Website of the Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid
Macedonian Government Continues Persecution of SPC
Tags: Archbishop Jovan, Bitola, Christian, Christianity, Eastern Orthodox Church, John Chrysostom, Macedonia, Ohrid, Orthodox, Orthodoxy, political commentary, politics, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Serbian Orthodox Church, Skopje, SPC, Stobi
Oh, yes, Macedonia is one of the unthrifty Balkan statelets propped up by the USA and its Western running dogs… that’s where your tax money’s being wasted. Social Security and Medicare aren’t the problems… a hubristical and pointless attempt at world hegemony is the culprit. Your taxes are subsidising the lickspittles who’re carrying out this rubbish… fancy that..
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On 21 May 2012, at 07.00 CET (09.00 MSK 06.00 UTC 01.00 EDT 20 May 22.00 PDT), a large number of police staged an organised and violent action against SPC monasteries and the homes of believers belonging to the SPC Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid. In Štip, the police conducted a search for Bishop Marko Kimev of Bregalnica and Administrator of Bitola {St John Maximovich taught in the seminary at Bitola when he was a hieromonk: editor}; they arrested Mother Pelagia when they couldn’t find him. In Skopje, many policemen entered the Convent of the Assumption of the Mother of God, looking for Bishop David Ninov of Stobi and Administrator of Strumica; since they didn’t find him, they arrested the abbess, Mother Kirana. The police brutalised the nuns and harassed them by carrying out a cold-blooded search of the premises, filming everything with a video camera. In addition, the police entered the Convent of St John Chrysostom in Bitola, looking for the superior, Mother Olimpiada; because they couldn’t find her, they rudely harassed the rest of sisterhood. The police also entered the Monastery of the Assumption of the Mother of God in Prilep and arrested Hieromonk Mojsej.
In all the mentioned monasteries, the police seized all computers, as well as other material goods, on the pretext that a warrant exists against the SPC for “tax evasion”. Besides this, the police detained close family members of the bishops, as well as other believers. The Republic of Macedonia refuses to register the SPC Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid; ergo, it lacks an independent source of income. It’s dependent on believers’ donations to survive; so, it’s obvious that this state persecution under the guise of tax evasion, together with the verdict against Archbishop Jovan Vraniškovski, is nothing more than egregious persecution. It’s legal harassment on the basis of confessional allegiance; it’s abuse of a kind not seen in democratic countries.
After sentencing Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid to 2½ years of imprisonment in Idrizovo Prison, the Macedonian authorities, in an attempt to prop up the schismatic so-called Macedonian Orthodox Church, began a campaign to wipe out the canonical SPC in our country. We appeal to:
We ask them to provide any means of protection and support, in order to halt the state-sponsored persecution of the Macedonian state authorities against the SPC Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid, not only that aimed personally against Archbishop Jovan, but also that aimed against all detained abbesses, monks, nuns, and believers, and to definitively end this pogrom attacking religious freedom.
21 May 2012
Official Website of the Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid
http://www.poa-info.org/news/2012/05/20120521.html