Belgrade, June 12, 2012
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On June 8, 2012, Archbishop Jovan, who has been imprisoned six times over the past ten years, has now been transferred from Izidrovo prison to solitary confinement in Suto Orizari prison, where he will be under great duress.
Twenty-three hours in isolation with only one hour for walking within the prison walls will cause a threat to the archbishop’s health. He suffers from diabetes and serious back pain, reports the press services of the archbishopric. In Izidrovo Archbishop Jovan was only allowed visits from his mother and sister, who were able to bring him needed medicines. In his new prison conditions, the archbishop is allowed no visitors whatsoever.
Now a third process has begun against the archbishop, which instigated his transfer to solitary confinement.
“It is apparent that no one in Macedonia has been imprisoned so many times over a ten year period. There is no doubt that we are talking about political persecution, which places our country in the category of an only partially democratic country,” stated the Ohrid diocese.
Archbishop Jovan was consecrated bishop of the Ohrid diocese by the Serbian Orthodox Church after he and a number of believers began to call for the reunification of Macedonian Orthodox Christians with the canonical Serbian Church. The government of FYROM sentenced him to 18 months of prison in June 2005 for "Instigation of ethnic, racial and religious hatred, discord and intolerance", based upon his break from the uncanonical national church. He was later arrested again for “embezzlement”. The current accusation against is likewise “embezzlement”.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Moscow Patriarchate, the Church of Greece, the Holy Community of Mount Athos, the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, and the Orthodox Church in America have all petitioned the FYROM government for the release of Archbishop Jovan.