After a four-year legal battle, Jehovah’s Witnesses in the town of Tetiiv, Ukraine, are permitted to use their Kingdom Hall for worship. Though our brothers finished constructing their Kingdom Hall in December 2014, the State Architect-Building Council (SABC) repeatedly interfered with its use: refusing six times to grant an occupancy permit, punishing the congregation with high fines, and even canceling the building permit, despite the fact the construction had already been completed.

On October 10, 2018, the Supreme Court of Ukraine ruled that our brothers complied with construction legislation. They also reiterated that the right to build a house of worship is protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. On March 28, 2019, a newly appointed SABC department chief issued our brothers the needed occupancy permit. The congregation held their first meeting later that month.

On November 2, 2019, the brothers hosted an open house. Town and district officials as well as neighbors attended the event. Anatoliy Fedorovych Zavalniuk, Chief Architect of the Tetiiv District State Administration, stated: “You respected the construction technologies, the legislation, and the approved project. This house of worship beautifies this street and this part of the town. I thank you for your work.”

These developments give us reason to rejoice with our brothers in Tetiiv. How happy we are that they can now use their Kingdom Hall to praise and magnify Jehovah.—Psalm 69:30.