The involvement of the European Court of human rights in this process still allows preserving the churches of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the annexed Crimea, according to Ukrainian lawyer and human rights activist Serhiy Zayets.
He expressed this opinion on the air of Radio Krym.Realii.
"Currently, there are no obstacles so that the Russian authorities cannot comply with the decision of their own occupation courts (on the demolition of the Ukrainian Church in Crimea – CR), but, fortunately, they do not do this. This is due to the fact that the ECHR has registered several complaints related to the churches of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Crimea. This is the seizure of the temple in Sevastopol and the seizure of the temple in Perevalne. And one of these episodes is the eviction of the church in Simferopol. This complaint was communicated by the Russian authorities. The Russian authorities have repeatedly asked the court to extend the time limit for submitting its objections. The next extension was set until March 31," the lawyer said.
Earlier, the Supreme Court of Russia refused to review the decision to evict the community of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine from the Cathedral of the Holy equal-to-the-apostles Princes Vladimir and Olga in Simferopol.
Also, the Russian-controlled Yevpatoria City Court ordered the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to demolish the church in Yevpatoria. The defense intended to file an application for review of the court's decision. Archbishop Klyment of the Crimean Diocese of the OCU was handed a decree by Russian bailiffs to demolish the church in Yevpatoria.
The representative office of the president of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) of Chernihiv and Nizhyn, and Ukrainian Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova condemned the decision of the Russian court in Yevpatoria.