the autocephaly of the MOC" reached on 23 January 2004. The Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric is denied registration by the state authorities. International reactions The United States Department of State includes in its "Religious Freedom Report" and "Human Rights Report" information regarding the "restrictions of the religious freedoms of the members of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, existence of religious prisoners, violation of freedom of movement, police terror and demolition of a monastery, prevention of OSCE from obtaining a copy of the decision upon which the demolition was carried out, police interrogations of the members of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric etc." The US Mission to the OSCE warned of "Violation of freedom of religion and encouraged the authorities to apply the law fairly, advising the government should avoid involving in religious disputes, reminding that Article Nine of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 19 of the Macedonian Constitution as well as Macedonia’s OSCE commitments, and international norms, all guarantee his right to freedom of religion". The European Commission pointed out that "cases of violations of religious freedom exist and emphasized that the new law should provide more liberal procedure for registering religious communities". The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the refusal of the government to register the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric constitutes a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Amnesty International declared the Archbishop Jovan a Prisoner of conscience. Freedom House reported that Archbishop Jovan has been "arrested [...] for his ties to the Serbian Orthodox Church. In Freedom House's publications "Macedonia received a downward trend arrow due to [...] an increase in the harassment of leaders of various religious groups". The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights constantly reports about the violation of the religious freedoms and human rights of the members of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric: "The violation of several basic rights was the result of activities of a number of state institutions (especially the Ministry of the Interior) directed against not only the followers (monks of the MOC who were supporting Vraniskovski), but also against citizens who approve of him or had compassionate sentiments or attitude towards them. This can be illustrated by the following: problems upon entry and exit from the state, threats, police detention, lawsuits against citizens who have provided housing for the outcast monks, police ban in the exercise of the right to residence". Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe reported