Archbishop Klyment of OCU appeals against eviction from the temple

Archbishop Klyment of the Crimean diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine lodged an appeal to the court in Russian Kaluga against the decision of the Russian 21st Arbitration Court of Appeal in Sevastopol, which upheld the decision to terminate the lease of the premises of the Cathedral of the OCU in Simferopol.

Archbishop Klyment told it to Krym.Realii on September 17.

"This is their judicial system: first, documents are submitted to the court of the first instance in Simferopol, and then to Sevastopol, to the Court of Appeal, or to Kaluga. It depends on what kind of application is submitted," Archbishop Klyment said.

According to him, the documents were submitted last week.

On August 30, Archbishop Klyment said that the Russian 21st Arbitration Court of Appeal in Sevastopol upheld the decision to terminate the lease of the premises of the Cathedral of the OCU in Simferopol.

On August 29, it was reported that more than 50 percent of the parishioners of the OCU in Crimea filed an appeal to the UN human rights committee on "the seizure of the Cathedral of Sts Volodymyr and Olha in Simferopol."

Earlier, Archbishop Klyment said that the Kremlin-controlled Crimean authorities insist on the termination of any agreements with the Crimean diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The Department of the Crimean Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine appealed the decision of the Russian Arbitration Court of Crimea on the claim of the Ministry of Property of Crimea on termination of the lease of the premises of the Cathedral of Sts Volodymyr and Olha in Simferopol.

According to Archbishop Klyment, after the court made a decision on its transfer to the Russian Ministry of Property of the Crimea, the property of the Cathedral in Simferopol was " looted and broken." The Russian authorities have not publicly commented on the situation.

In the Cathedral of the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Volodymyr and Olha in Simferopol, the worship is conducted by the community of the Crimean diocese of the UOC-KP, which changed jurisdiction to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

The Russian Ministry of Property and Land Relations of the Crimea in February 2019 demanded to vacate the Cathedral's premises, explaining that the contract with the Crimean diocese of the UOC-KP had expired.

The Russian-controlled Arbitration Court of Crimea on June 28 ordered to transfer the premises of the Cathedral to the use of the Russian Ministry of the property of Crimea. Archbishop Klyment of the Crimean diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine said he would appeal the decision.

In mid-June, the construction work was initiated in the temple by the Ministry of Property of the Crimea without the consent of the Crimean diocese.