August 25, 2005



His Holiness, PAVLE

Archbishop of Pech, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Patriarch of Serbia

Belgrade, Serbia



Your Holiness,



The recent imprisonment of Archbishop Jovan of Ochrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje in the Idrizovo Prison in Skopje is an ungodly
political act violating all rights for religious expression and divine worship. Furthermore it offends the international Rule of Law of
both the UN and the EU, concerning the human rights.


We are publicly announcing our dismay, greatest bitterness and horror by the decision of the officials of the FYROM to send the
Head of the Autonomous Archdiocese of Ochrid, which is the only canonical Orthodox Church on the territory of this country, to
serve a prison term. We take our stand alongside the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church and we fully share the expressed
sadness of His All-Holiness Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.



That a hierarch is judged and imprisoned for speaking and acting in accordance with his conscience is a blatant and shocking assault
on freedom of conscience and on freedom of religious faith and practice. In our letter to the FYROM President we have harshly denounced the imprisonment by the authorities of H.E. Jovan, canonical Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje, as a flagrant violation of religious freedom and Human Rights in general and asked his Government to refrain from interferences in the ecclesiastical affairs of the country, if they wish to be considered a civilized nation, worthy of membership in the European Union and in the family of civilized nations.



Thus we seek a quick release of the imprisoned prelate, in the name of our Lord and in the name of human dignity.



With respect and in God’s Love,



Panos Spiliakos                           Theodoros Toskos                Nina Gatzoulis

Supreme President                      Supreme Secretary               Supreme Vice-President



Cc: US President
US Secretary of State
US Commission for Religious Freedom,
Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA)
National Council of Churches (NCC)
European Union Institutions
Council of Europe (CoE)
Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE),
Secretary-General of NATO