30.08.2016

The court hearing in the latest politically rigged judicial persecution against Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid, two bishops, priests, monastics and the believers of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric was scheduled for today.

Although everyone of the unjustly accused appeared in the court, as always, the court hearing did not take place. Namely, the judge notified the unjustly accused that the public prosecutor called him on the phone this morning and told him that she would not appear on the hearing (sic!) that was scheduled since June. At the same time, the judge did not find necessary to inform the lawyer of the unjustly accused, so that they would be informed through them and not be exposed to maltreatment to come to the court when it is not necessary!

It is not the first time that the public prosecutor does not appear on the properly scheduled court hearings in the last moment, without notifying the court in due time and without delegating a deputy public prosecutor. The judge is tolerating this irresponsible and unprofessional behavior of the public prosecutor, thus performing a kind of torture upon the unjustly accused. What is this court torture? The court process is being prolonged perpetually, and that is making the lives of the unjustly accused more difficult in many segments. On top of that, among the unjustly accused there are old people that travel to Skopje from various parts of the homeland, only for the judge to tell them that the trial will not take place…

We leave it to the sober minded readers to answer to themselves why does the judge, in collaboration with the public prosecutor, find it useful to endlessly prolong the court process?

The state persecution on religious basis against the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric continues! The next hearing is scheduled for October.