The head of the DESS criticized the actions of Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Viktor Yelensky, head of Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), criticized the activities of international attorney Robert Amsterdam, who represents the interests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).The official accused the lawyer of spreading distorted information about the situation regarding religious freedoms in Ukraine among American politicians.

In an interview with the YouTube channel “History Without Myths,” Yelensky described Amsterdam as a lobbyist whose activities, he claimed, are funded by Russia and “fugitive Ukrainian oligarchs.” The head of the DESS stated ironically that the lawyer allegedly portrays the situation as if the Ukrainian authorities were persecuting the Church, and even went so far as to make a metaphorical remark that the lawyer attributes absurd actions to Ukraine’s leadership.

The official also mentioned a personal meeting with Robert Amsterdam, during which the lawyer allegedly warned him of the consequences of taking action against the UOC. Yelensky emphasized that he does not take these threats seriously. At the same time, he acknowledged large-scale changes in the church sphere: according to Yelensky, since 2018, about 2,000 parishes have left the UOC, and this process continues on a weekly basis. The head of the State Ecclesiastical Service assured that the transitions are taking place “without conflict” and confirmed that his agency is actively participating in legal proceedings aimed at halting the activities of the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC.

It should be recalled that the law firm Amsterdam & Partners has repeatedly drawn the attention of international organizations to the situation surrounding the UOC, especially after the Verkhovna Rada adopted Law No. 3894-IX, which effectively creates the legal basis for banning the activities of this religious organization.