In Crimea, Russians are demolishing the last Ukrainian church, a criminal case has been opened

Photo: t.me/Tsapienko

exist Crimea Russian invaders began to demolish the Ukrainian Orthodox Holy Cross Church in Yevpatoriya. It was the last Ukrainian church on the peninsula. The Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city.

– A criminal case has been filed for the illegal destruction of the temple in accordance with Article 1. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war)… On July 21, 2024, representatives of the occupation authorities began to demolish the Holy Cross Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the city of Yevpatoria. The department noted that previously, the occupied city court of Yevpatoria issued an illegal decision in 2019 to demolish the temple.

The Prosecutor’s Office explained that such actions by the Russians constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the provisions protecting religious institutions from seizure, destruction or intentional damage.

• In February 2024, the Autonomous Prosecutor’s Office, together with the public organization Global Rights Compliance, sent an information statement to the International Criminal Court about the crimes committed by the Russian occupation authorities against religious communities in Crimea.
• In April Crimean occupation authorities removed the dome of the cathedral Prince Vladimir and Princess Olga of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Simferopol. In this regard, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Rubinets sent a request to the UN agency.