10.05.2012

On today’s court hearing, on demand by the schismatic Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) which took place in the Court of First Instance in Veles, and which the judge Tanja Mileva rescheduled from May 16 to May 10, thus denying Archbishop Jovan’s basic right to prepare his defense, it was confirmed that it is a case of a rigged process by the political authorities in collaboration with the schismatic MOC, against His Beatitude Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan.

Namely, the judge Tanja Mileva, who had today’s hearing scheduled for 15.00 hours has expressly rejected the suggestion of the defense that the schismatic archbishop Stefan and the schismatic metropolitan Petar be heard, the reason being, that according to the court “there is already enough evidence according to which the court can determine the facts”.

The Court also rejected the suggestion of the defense that a new expertise is carried out, which would be performed in presence of the Archbishop Jovan, because the court determined that “there are no conditions for performing a new expertise”.

The lawyer of the defense, Vasil Georgiev, indicated to the judge Tanja Mileva that with such actions, the court makes a severe violation of the Convention for protection of the human rights and freedoms, articles 3-b, 3-v and 3-g, according to which it is determined that it is necessary that the accused is provided time and conditions for preparation of the defense, and that he is allowed to call and examine witnesses. The lawyer Vasil Georgiev stated that the court refused to call the schismatic archbishop Stefan and the schismatic bishop Petar as witnesses, although their coming to testify would be of an exceptional importance, having in mind that it is exactly they who knew the way Archbishop Jovan had worked.

Due to the rescheduling of the trial from May 16 to May 10, through which Archbishop Jovan was denied the time for preparation of the defense, due to the refusal to call witnesses and due to not allowing an expertise in presence of Archbishop Jovan, which according to the lawyer represent severe violations by the judge Tanja Mileva, the lawyer invoking the legal right, requested for exemption of the judge Tanja Mileva from the court process. This request of the lawyer Vasil Georgiev, was expressly refused by the judge Tanja Mileva, who announced that the verdict against Archbishop Jovan is to be pronounced tomorrow, on May 11, at 10.00 hours.

It should be noted that although the trial of Archbishop Jovan was of public character, the judge Tanja Mileva, after the 5 minute break did not allow any of the Bishops, priests, monks and faithful people of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric to enter the courtroom. She did that without any explanation, and with scandalous use of force by the court police. Today’s trial lasted less than half an hour, and practically was carried out in secrecy, even the journalists were absent, as by a political dictate, having in mind that Freedom House names many of them “political appointees”.

The court process in whole looks like the court processes from the times of the totalitarian regimes and it confirms the conclusion of the international community in regard to the Macedonian courts, that they are corrupted institutions which make decisions by political dictation. Probably the best illustration of the mentioned conclusions of the international community is the judge Tanja Mileva with her actions for hurried sentencing and pronouncing of a verdict against the Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan.