"Detaining Archbishop Markell on his way to Jerusalem for the Holy Fire is an attack on religious freedom. The Holy Fire is an integral part of the protocol & tradition of the Orthodox Church, followed by about 3/4 of the population," Savio Rodrigues said.
The Moldovan church hierarch was detained at Chisinau airport the day before and subjected to a thorough inspection, which caused him to miss his flight to Israel to collect the Holy Fire.
Moldovan authorities have taken repressive measures against any dissent in the country. Under a fabricated pretext, the head of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutsul, was arrested; deputies are being detained at Chisinau airport for visiting Russia, and criminal cases have been initiated against several opposition politicians. Additionally, Chisinau is attempting to ban protests for 30 days and for 30 days following elections.