The citizen of Ukraine, Bishop Gedeon has been deprived of his citizenship and deported to the United States, on the day of his participation in the session at the Supreme Court of Ukraine questioning the legitimacy of a Parliament’s directive with respect to a religious issue.

Ukraine

February 14, 2019 – the abbot of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s (Moscow Patriarchate)[note] The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) is an autonomous Orthodox Church with headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine. It is spiritually and canonically linked with the Russian Orthodox Church.[/note] Desiatinny (Tithe – Ed.) monastery, Bishop Gedeon (Kharon) of Makarov, that was detained at the airport by the Security Service of Ukraine on 13 February, was denied entering Ukraine and was deported to the USA. The bishop was returning from the United States where he told the US Congress about persecutions of the canonical Church and oppression of Ukraine Orthodox Church’s (Moscow Patriarchate) believers. In addition, today Bishop Gedeon is supposed to participate as the plaintiff in the hearing at the Supreme Court of Ukraine questioning the legitimacy of the Parliament support of the President’s request from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to grant  Tomos.

The State Border Service publishes on its Social Media channel: “yesterday in the evening during the border check of passengers of flight “Frankfurt-Kiev” at the airport “Borispol” with respect to this person (Bishop Gedeon – edit.) the database of lost, stolen, and invalid documents was triggered. It was discovered, that the passport of the citizen of Ukraine, that he presented, is not valid, moreover he is deprived of citizenship of our State. The document was taken from him, then the man was returned in the opposite direction”.

Photo/video testimony:

Sources:

  1. The Facebook channel Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Centre of Information – “Bishop Gedeon has been deported to the USA”
  2. The Facebook Channel of State Border Service of Ukraine – video publication  “the border guards executed the orders of law enforcement authorities against a citizen of Yuri Charon (Bishop Gideon)”

Relevant Cases:

Feb. 13, 2019 – Bishop Gedeon has been detained in the airport by the Security Service of Ukraine

Jan. 12, 2019 – Commentary of Archbishop Feodosiy, Chairman of the Church Court of the Kiev Diocese (Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate), about the State interference into Church Affairs.

Jan. 2, 2019 –  The Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO), Chief Rabbi of Ukraine believes that with the adoption of Law No. 5309, no religion in Ukraine can feel protected from state interference.