Khmelnytsky diocese commented on Lubinets' statement on religious freedom in Ukraine

The Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets on his Telegram channel said that Ukraine is open and tolerant of all religions, and the rights of believers are protected by law.

The official noted that during the monitoring visits “no significant violations or conflict situations were recorded. The will of the community members in each case was free and transparent. The police secured the event.”

He also assures that “the general meeting of religious communities is held in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations.”

The Khmelnitsky diocese of the UOC commented on the words of the Ombudsman:

“Unfortunately, the review of the current religious situation by Dmitry Lubinets, both in Ukraine in general and in the Khmelnytsky region in particular, looks like wishful thinking. In fact, discrimination against Orthodox believing citizens of Ukraine and religious organizations of the UOC continues.”

The commentary added that “during the so-called “peaceful transitions from the UOC to the OCU,” the will of the actual members of the religious community to remain in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not taken into account. After such «transitions», the provision of which is often accompanied by the use of clubs and grinders, the temples often remain empty or sealed.

“The words of the commissioner about the absence of human rights violations during transfers to the OCU are also seen as strange,” the legal department noted.

The diocese said that the parishioners of the seized churches in Khmelnytsky, in connection with the violation of their rights, turned to the Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of European countries, as well as to the coordinator of the UN system in Ukraine and the ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.

“Obvious facts testifying to the real, and not a far-fetched, state of religious freedom in Ukraine may suggest that Mr. Dmytro Lubinets, who has been the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for human rights since July 1, 2022, and before this appointment was a people’s deputy from The Petro Poroshenko Bloc deliberately keeps silent about the problems and violations of the rights of believers in order to pro forma create the appearance of legality in the religious sphere of Ukraine in the eyes of the Ukrainian society and the international community,” the diocese noted.

“The words about the right of a part of the parishioners who disagree with the change of subordination to create a new religious community are also cynical, since now the state registration authorities refuse to register new charters of religious organizations of the UOC. In addition, it is not clear why a religious community should be re-created if it did not make a decision to transfer, but wishes to remain in the UOC,” the legal department added.