Following the rejection of his appeal by the Bitolj Appeals Court, the Archbishop of the Autonomous Archdiocese of Ochrid reported on Tuesday to serve his prison sentence. He said that he will not hide from serving the sentence. "I am not a criminal and I did not do anything wrong that would require me to flee to avoid punishment. For me it is a joy that I can attest to my faith, my Church and the hope we share that this will be our last persecution," he said.

Bishop Jovan was sentenced for alleged inciting national and religious hatred and intolerance because he responded to the call of Serbian Patriarch to return to unity of the Orthodox Church. He was also accused for serving religious services in his private home and for performing baptisms on behalf of his faithfull. Archbishop Jovan could remain in prison as long as two and a half years if the same superior court in Bitolj upholds the decision by a lower court to effect another, conditional sentence of one year for subordination and violence to this one.

Scandalous imprisonment of Archbishop Jovan has already worsened relations between Belgrade and FYR Macedonia. The behavior of Skopje authorities which blatantly trample upon basic human and religious rights of their citizens has proved once again that old communist mentality in FYR Macedonia is still prevalent and that it is enough to have religious beliefs different from the official ones that one can be put in prison and humiliated. The pact between the Skopje state authorities and this para-Church organization, which is not recognized by any Orthodox Church in the world, proves that Skopje bishops are continuing to lead their flock astray.

So called Macedonian Orthodox Church "MOC" is a creation of the former Communist authorities in the 1960ties through which the atheist Government wanted to disrupt the unity of the Orthodox Church which was seen as the enemy of Tito's communist regime. After many brotherly but ignored appeals to the renegade bishops Serbian Orthodox Church which had granted full Church autonomy to their brothers in FYR Macedonia finally decided to discontinue relations with the "MOC". As a sign of good will ordinary faithfull from FYR Macedonia were allowed communion and other Holy Mysteries. Only the clergy was barred from concelebration with other Orthodox clergy. However, after the last Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in May 2005 it was decided that the Holy Mysteries should not be administered to any follower of the MOC.

Ruins of the monastery of St. John Chrisostom in October 2004. The monastery which was under construction by Archbishop Jovan was brutally demolished by adherents of the schismatic MOC with unhidded  support of the Skopje Government

Regrettably, the behavior of Skopje Bishops and their protectors in FYR Macedonian Government has made lots of damage to the Orthodox people of FYR Macedonia who have been excluded from the Church unity for decades and instigated to hate and even phisically abuse canonical Orthodox clergy. The Orthodox Church worldwide remains seriously concerned for the clergy and faithfull around Archbishop Jovan who courageously decided to leave the schism and join the Canonical Orthodox Church within Autonomous Orthodox Archdiocese of Ochrid. Only in the last year monks and nuns of Archbishop Jovan were repeatedly attacked, beaten and satanized in the press. Hooligans organized by MPC and their patrons in the Government destroyed one monastery and demolished a chapel which belonged to the Archdiocese of Ochrid. Government did not take any legal measures against perpetrators of these crimes.

Persecution of Archbishop Jovan, his clergy and the faithful is a most blatant example of violation of basic religioius rights in contemporary Europe which clearly demonstrates that Skopje Government has failed to find the way towards standards of democratic Europe but remains a captive of anachronistic ideas of religious repression and persecution from the Communist period.

Serbian Orthodox Church and many organizations for freedom of religion have already made public appeals in their attempt to stop the persecution of Orthodox Christians in FYR Macedonia and make the Skopje authorities conform to the standards of civilized society of the 21st century.

In July 2005. hooligans instigated by "MOC" demolished a chapel belonging to Ochrid Archdiocese. Acronym of the schismatic "Macedonian Orthodox Church" in Cyrillic letters is visible on one of the walls. Due to constant persecution the clergy and the faithful of the Ocrhid Archdiocese still pray in private homes away from eyes of the public like in ancient Christian times.

In protest against imprisonment of Archbishop Jovan Serbian Orthodox Church will not allow celebration of the FYR Macedonian feastday of Ilinden in the monastery of Prohor Pcinjski in Southern Serbia this year although this was allowed in previous years as a sign of good will despite aggressive behavior of Skopje authorities and the renegade bishops.

In case that schismatic Bishops of the MOC in FYR Macedonia continue with violations of centuries old canons of the Church and continue acting as a tool of "Macedonian" nationalism which negatively affects both neighboring Greece and Serbia, Holy Assemblly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church will be forced to take more rigorous canonical measures against them and defrock them. The decision to take these or more drastic punitive measures has been suspended so far in expectation of their repentance and return to the Orthodox community. The injustice towards Archbishop Jovan of Ochrid regrettably shows that there is not much readiness for a peaceful settlement of this problem, at least not for the time being.