Dubno Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, From Vitaliy G.Buha,
Residence address: 1 Nekrasov St., Dubno, Dubno district, Rivne region tel: +380 99 284 0441;
STATEMENT
of a criminal offence
At 19:00, June 24, 2015, to buy a bottle of mineral water I decided to go to the village shop situated in Rykun St., Povcha village, together with Vitaliy V. Chaika and Andriy V. Pankevych. Entering the shop, I saw, as I later found out, the deputy chairman of the district council Alexander V. Kozak, who was drinkingalcoholic beverages with the shop assistant and was intoxicated, as was noticeable by the smell of alcohol, impaired motor coordination and “glass eyes». After I decided to get the cell phone out of my pocket, A.V. Kozak attacked me with foul language, picked up a wooden chair on which he had been sitting, and aimed a blow at me. I took these actions as a threat to life and health. Also, I regarded this threat as real and such that can be realized, as it was publicly expressed. A. V. Kozak, being aware of the difficult situation in the country and the fact that I am a senior priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of vlg. Povcha, inciting inter-faith strife, started swearing and speaking rudely to me: «After the trial I’ll take the church in vlg. Ptycha, and the next will be a church in vlg. Povcha «,» You are a Moscow priest, a sucker, a Moskal, but you do not know what will happen to you», «It is necessary to expel all the Moscow priests from Dubno district «, “I support the Kyiv Patriarchate to seize churches of the UOC.»
After these events my health has deteriorated significantly, and on the night of 25.06.2015, I had to turn to a local hospital.
On the basis of the above,
I REQUEST:
- To open the criminal proceedings under Art. 129 and 161 of the Criminal Code and to make an entry to the Unified State Register of pre-trial investigations;
- To call as witnesses who directly participated in the events:
- Vitaliy V. Chaika;
- Andriy V. Pankevych;
- To grant me and the above-mentioned persons the status of victims in the case.
V.G Buha June 26, 2015
To learn more about religious freedom infringements committed against the UOC believers you are encouraged to consult our detailed reports and statements:
- Collection of Information Materials and Documents “Facts, Evidence and Claims Regarding Violations of the Rights of Believers and Religious Organizations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 2014-2016”.
- Written Statement of the NGO “Public Advocacy” within the United Nations 28th Universal Periodic Review on Ukraine.
- Written Statement of the NGO “Public Advocacy” on the violations against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church within the United Nations 37-th Regular Session.
- Statement of the NGO “Public Advocacy”