January 28, 2016. After seven months of postponing of the scheduled court hearings, on 28th January 2016, in the Court of First Instance in Skopje started, the politically rigged court process against His Beatitude Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje, two Bishops, priests, monastics and believers of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric. The Orthodox Archdiocese of Ohrid published a communique concerning the trial.

«The attitude of the Public Prosecutor was the reason of the delay of the trial as he asked from the witness who was requested by him to appear again in the court.

The lawyer of Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid brought forth to the Court, that the decision of the Supreme Court, through which the case is being returned for a retrial, states crystal clear that the testimonies are not at all problematized, but the Court of First Instance is asked to reevaluate its verdict, on the grounds of the already existing testimonies and proofs.

The Court of First Instance still decided to accept the request of the Public Prosecutor against to the recommendation of the Supreme Court, and scheduled the next hearing for, mid-March, thus continuing the court prosecution on religious basis targeted against Archbishop Jovan, the Bishops, priests, monastics and the believers of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric».