OCU activists again threaten UOC priest in Sadiv because of church house

The family of the head of the persecuted UOC community in Sadiv is being threatened by telephone. Photo: pravoslavna.volyn.ua

On July 8, 2021, Archpriest Vladimir Meles received threatening phone calls. The priest recorded the conversations and turned to the police, reports the press service of the Volyn Eparchy of the UOC.

The unknown person first called Mother Vera and, introducing himself as Vasily, said that "we are good people from good places". He asked to tell Father Vladimir that he would act "reasonably" and, before the feast of Peter and Paul (July 12), vacate the "illegally occupied house in Sadiv".

He also threatened the rector of the persecuted community of the UOC personally, stressing that "you have time before Peter, and then we will act”.

The Volyn Eparchy reported that Fr Vladimir wrote a statement to the police on the fact of threats to his family, on the basis of which a criminal case was initiated. Also, those who may recognize the voice of the caller are asked to report it to the police or to the eparchial administration for a fee.

“With such behaviour, the representatives of the OCU in Sadiv showed that, without receiving support in the court and the legal field, they are ready to move on to achieve their goal in a criminal way. We remind, recently the Lutsk city district court has made a decision, which will punish the youths who severely beat the son of a priest from Sadiv. It is also striking that during the call the representative of the OCU, a church that positions itself as a state church, spoke in the language of the aggressor. Perhaps for persuasiveness, and perhaps for solidity – who knows?" reads the message of the eparchy’s press service.

After the seizure of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Sadiv in February 2019, the family of the priest of the UOC, Archpriest Vladimir Meles, is regularly attacked by supporters of the OCU.

Activists are trying to evict Fr Vladimir from the church house where he lives and is officially registered with his wife and minor children. At various times, the 16-year-old son of a clergyman and the minor grandson suffered from their actions.

After the court's decision was not in favour of the OCU activists who were trying to evict Fr Vladimir Meles and his family from their home in Sadiv, provocations began against his lawyer.

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