USCIRF Expresses Concern Over Ukraine’s Ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

 

OCP News Service  – 27/03/2025

Washington, D.C. – United States: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has raised serious concerns regarding Ukraine’s legislation banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

In its recently released 2025 annual report, covering global religious freedom issues in 2024, the Commission highlighted Ukraine’s controversial law. Signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 2024, the law seeks to prohibit the UOC on the grounds of alleged ties to Moscow. However, the report points out that the Russian Orthodox Church only operates in Russian-occupied territories.

The UOC formally severed its ties with the Moscow Patriarchate in May 2022 during a Local Council meeting, where church leaders amended its statutes to reflect its independence. These updated statutes are even available on the Ukrainian government’s official website. Despite this, authorities continue to pressure the UOC, which has refused to join the state-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

USCIRF criticized the law for punishing an entire religious organization based on the actions of individuals, arguing that such measures contradict international legal standards.

The report also references concerns raised by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which in December 2024 condemned the law for imposing “disproportionate restrictions on the freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief.” USCIRF has urged the Ukrainian government to ensure that its enforcement aligns with international human rights principles.

Despite Ukraine’s stated commitment to European values, the Commission notes that the government has disregarded repeated UN warnings and continues to target the UOC, effectively pushing for the prohibition of canonical Orthodoxy in the country.

Source:
OCP News Service