Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkassy and Kanev spoke at the UN Council

On October 9, 2023, the UN Human Rights Council during a hearing on the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Ukraine watched a video recording of an appeal by Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy and Kanev, who at that time was at a court hearing on the case of imposing a preventive measure against him in the form of detention in a criminal case. This is reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

In particular, Metropolitan Theodosius said:

«Dear participants of the meeting,

As a citizen of Ukraine, bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, I draw the attention of diplomats, members of the UN Human Rights Council and international organizations to the terrible situation in which the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church find themselves.

Our believers are suffering from violence, hundreds of our churches have been seized, the Holy Assumption Pechersk Lavra and the Kyiv Theological Academy are being expelled from their premises. Many bishops and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including myself, are facing criminal charges for their religious beliefs.

I am currently under house arrest for my canonical convictions and public statements in defense of the Church. At the same time, hostile rhetoric, calls for the use of force to seize churches and even acts of public violence against our believers remain unpunished in Ukraine. The authorities are massively taking decisions to seize land plots from our communities, on which churches have already been built by the efforts of the UOC believers. Moreover, the Ukrainian parliament is planning to pass a law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the territory of the state.

I convincingly ask you to ensure effective compliance of Ukraine with its international obligations in the sphere of religious freedom».

It is noted that «Metropolitan of Cherkassy and Kanevsk Theodosiy by the fact of his speech received the status of a UN human rights defender, which allows to apply for his protection the resources of this organization, which has special regulations and protection procedures for persons who contact the UN on the protection of human rights».

We will remind, yesterday Kyiv-Svyatoshinsky district court of the capital refused the request of the Prosecutor’s office to take Metropolitan Theodosius into custody. The bishop remains under house arrest.