UN Condemns Ukraine’s Law Banning Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Citing Human Rights Violations

patriarchia.ru and OCP News Service – 02/01/2025

Moscow- Russia: The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has condemned Ukraine’s recent law banning religious organizations with ties to Russia, stating that the country has failed to demonstrate the necessity of such a drastic measure.

The UN report, release covers the period from September 1 to November 30, 2024, and specifically addresses the vagueness and lack of justification for the August 2024 law. While the legislation ostensibly targets Russian-centered religious organizations, Ukrainian officials have openly acknowledged its intention to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), despite the Church having severed ties with the Moscow Patriarchate in May 2022.

The UN report highlights several concerns:

• Lack of Justification: The report states that Ukraine has failed to demonstrate the necessity and proportionality of the ban, particularly considering that less restrictive measures could have been implemented.
• Vague and Overbroad Language: The law’s vague wording, which includes terms like “propaganda of the ideology of the Russian world,” raises concerns about its potential for misuse and the suppression of freedom of expression.
• Violation of Human Rights: The report emphasizes that the dissolution of a religious organization significantly impacts the right to freedom of religion and belief, requiring strong justification, which Ukraine has failed to provide.
• Focus on National Security: The report notes that the law invokes “national security” as grounds for restricting religious freedom, a justification not explicitly recognized by international human rights treaties like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
• Forcible Church Seizures: The report details the violent seizure of the Archangel Michael Cathedral in Cherkassy on October 17, 2024, by supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, resulting in injuries to clergy and parishioners.

The UN has repeatedly raised concerns about the persecution of the UOC in Ukraine, including the numerous instances of church seizures and the targeting of clergy. This latest report further underscores the gravity of the human rights concerns surrounding the Ukrainian government’s actions against the UOC.

Source:

OCP News Services