PACE rejects proposal to impose sanctions against Patriarch Kirill and the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has not supported the initiative of the Ukrainian delegation to impose targeted sanctions against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and the top clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church. During the spring session in Strasbourg, the majority of deputies opposed the corresponding amendment to the resolution on religious freedom.

According to the PACE website, amendment No 2 to the draft resolution “Countering discrimination on the grounds of religion and protecting freedom of religion or belief in Europe” was proposed by a group of Ukrainian MPs led by Oleksiy Honcharenko. The authors of the document insisted on introducing restrictive measures against the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, accusing them of ideological support for military actions and undermining stability in Europe. As a result of voting, the initiative did not get enough votes: 36 deputies supported it, 51 opposed it, and 9 abstained.

Despite the rejection of specific sanctions requirements, the Assembly approved Amendment No. 1, which recognizes the use of the Russian Orthodox Church by the Kremlin regime as “an instrument of Russian influence and propaganda.” Nevertheless, the final text of the final resolution did not include direct references to Patriarch Kirill and the Russian Orthodox Church in the operative part. PACE limited itself to general wording, expressing deep concern that religion is increasingly used as “a weapon and tool of propaganda and hybrid warfare.”

We will remind, November 22, 2024 Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree, according to which enacted the decision of the National Security and Defence Council on the deprivation of state awards “traitors of Ukraine”, first of all the distinctions will be deprived of 34 people. The “traitors of Ukraine” also included the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.