Chair of Religions’ Department urged intelligence agencies, international organizations and UOC-MP to make all efforts to free UGCC priest

Director of the Department of Religious and Ethnic Affairs to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine Volodymyr Yushkevich appealed to representatives of the Ukrainian law enforcement and intelligence agencies, international organizations asking to do everything possible to liberate the priest. In particular, he asked the ruling bishop of the Diocese of Donetsk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol, to help rescue the priest.

“As we know, on July 4, in Donetsk Fr.Tikhon Kulbaka, Secretary of the Council of Churches and Religious organizations of Donetsk Oblast, a priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church disappeared. According to some information, members of the terrorist organization “Donetsk People's Republic” were implicated in the abduction. Previously the priest repeatedly received threats from pro-Russian activists.

This is a violation of basic human rights: the right to life, liberty and security of person, the right to freedom of religion.

I address the representatives of the Ukrainian law enforcement and intelligence agencies, international organizations asking to do everything possible to liberate the priest. In particular, I’m asking the manager of the Diocese of Donetsk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol to help rescue the priest”, goes the document.