The Ukrainian Orthodox Church Has Established a Charitable Foundation to Provide Legal Protection for the Clergy

Lawyers from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) have established the “Freedom of Conscience” charitable foundation, which aims to provide qualified legal assistance to clergy and religious organizations that cannot afford legal services. The project was initiated by Archpriest Nikita Chekman, a lawyer for the UOC.

The “Freedom of Conscience” Foundation is designed to address the issue of funding legal support for priests and religious communities of the UOC. Currently, a team of lawyers is handling more than 70 court cases related to the protection of the rights of religious communities and clergy. In addition, a hotline organized by the lawyers has received over 270 inquiries regarding the mobilization and military service of clergy.

According to Chekman, in many cases, clergy and congregations are unable to pay for legal services on their own. The foundation will use the funds raised to pay for the work of lawyers engaged in specific cases. In addition to financial support, the foundation aims to improve the legal literacy of the faithful and conduct educational events dedicated to the protection of human rights and freedom of religion.

Archpriest Nikita Chekman called for support of the initiative through donations and prayer, emphasizing that, with God’s help, the team of attorneys will be strengthened by qualified specialists to defend the rights of believers and clergy of the UOC.

As a reminder, a 24-hour hotline has begun operating in Ukraine to provide legal support to clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). This measure was taken in response to the increasing number of cases of forced mobilization of clergy.