Met. Jonathan: Trial against me – an episode of overall persecution of UOC

Metropolitan Jonathan. Photo: The Tulchyn Eparchy’s website

Metropolitan Jonathan. Photo: The Tulchyn Eparchy’s website

Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn said in an interview with the UOJ that his sentence is just an episode in the government's overall strategy to destroy the UOC.

According to him, the media campaign in the mass media against the Church is an order from the authorities and is part of the overall plan to persecute the UOC.

"Their goal is obvious – to politically compromise the UOC and its hierarchy in one swoop, to justify the ban and activities of the UOC, to intimidate priests and parishioners with persecution. The catalyst for the persecution of the canonical Church, the seizure of its monasteries and churches by extremists was the granting of the so-called "autocephalous" tomos to the OCU, which was not even recognised by the unrecognised "patriarch" Filaret Denisenko," the bishop said.

Metropolitan Jonathan is sure that the sentence handed down to him is "one of the episodes of reprisals against the defenders of their faith and the Church".

He recalled that the "evidence" of his guilt was falsified by one of the SBU officers who planted leaflets compromising the bishop during the search and that this moment was recorded by the camera of another SBU officer.

"The video recording of the SBU, denouncing the malpractice of Vinnytsia investigators, is real video evidence. It has been viewed with appropriate comments by hundreds of thousands of viewers of "KozakTV1", numerous priests and parishioners. This record has been seen by representatives of the UN, the American lawyer of the UOC Robert Amsterdam, other foreign lawyers," the bishop stressed.

Earlier, Metropolitan Jonathan (Yeletskykh) of Tulchyn and Bratslav joined the international human rights group.

 

Read also

Verkhovna Rada Debates Whether There Are Enough Votes to Repeal Law Banning the UOC

MP Yulia Sirko warns that repealing the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church could lead to revolution.

Scientists Invent Brain-Computer Chip Capable of Reading Human Minds

The "brain-computer" interface will help people who have lost the ability to speak communicate through the power of thought.

Metropolitan of the Jerusalem Church Strongly Condemns Actions of Ukrainian Authorities: Persecutions Like in Soviet Times

Metropolitan Timotheos of Vostra, Exarch of the Jerusalem Patriarchate in Cyprus, denounces desecration at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra as a grievous assault on Orthodoxy.

Prayer Site of Persecuted UOC Community Set on Fire in Kyiv Region

The Orthodox community suspects OCU representatives of arson.

Documentary on St. Sava in Production with Support of Serbian Orthodox Church

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Željko Mirković leads project spanning Athos, Balkans, and beyond.

HCHC Offers Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership

The program is designed for clergy, lay leaders, and nonprofit professionals and offers courses in strategic planning, fundraising, governance, financial management, marketing, and program evaluation—all grounded in Orthodox Christian values.