Skopje, January 20, 2015
The release of Jovan (Vraniskovsky), Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje, who has been illegally kept in prison of the city of Skopje, has been postponed again.
The Archbishopric of Ohrid has published an appeal in connection with the new turn in the Archbishop Jovan’s case.
As was earlier reported by Romfea, Archbishop Jovan was to be released from jail on January 19 – such a decision was made by the Skopje court. The public prosecution then agreed with the decision.
However, on the very day when the hierarch was to be released – the feast of Theophany which is a public holiday in Macedonia – the public prosecutor’s office unexpectedly filed an appeal (against the ruling). Thus, discharge of the archbishop is once again delayed until the appeal has been considered.
The archdiocese’s statement reads:
On January 9, 2015, the court of Skopje ruled that Jovan, Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje, should be released from prison.
Last week the public prosecutor published the notice saying it had no objections to the court’s decision on release of Archbishop Jovan from prison.
On January 19, the feast of Theophany, a public holiday in Macedonia, the public prosecutor made an appeal against the court decision.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Jovan was not released from the place of imprisonment in compliance with the first ruling.
