On January 2, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry rejected UN accusations of restrictions on religious freedoms in Ukraine.
At the end of December, the UN criticized Ukraine for lacking “sufficient justification” for the dissolution of religious organizations, in particular the Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. This allegedly violates international standards.
The UN also said there were “disproportionate restrictions on freedom of religion or belief” through the law on religious organizations associated with Russia.
According to the Foreign Ministry’s position, the UN’s conclusions “distort reality.” They noted that the law provides for a democratic procedure with a court decision, does not burden the conscience of believers, but only frees them from the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, which PACE calls “an ideological continuation of the criminal regime.”
The law does not provide for a ban on any of the churches existing in Ukraine, but prohibits the activities of religious organizations with centers of influence in Russia.
The department also emphasized that Russia systematically uses religion as a weapon in its war of aggression against Ukraine.
The law banning the activities of religious organizations associated with Russia came into force on September 23, 2024. The communities of the UOC-MP have several months to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Source: Racurs
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