US law professor: Ukraine preparing to pass 'brazen' law banning UOC

William Burke-White, professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey School of Law, wrote in a column on The Hill website that Ukraine is preparing to pass a «brazen» law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This is reported by Country Politics.

«This law would not only deny religious freedom to millions of Ukrainians, it would also undermine the main pillar of Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression — compliance with the law», — White wrote.

The Ukrainian government should «rethink» this «dangerous» bill, as the UOC parishioners are about 16% of the Ukrainian population. The document violates their freedom of religion, White said.

«Despite its historical ties to Russian Orthodoxy, the UOC firmly supports Ukraine’s legitimate self-defense against Russian aggression», — the professor recalled.

He said the bill is only the «most brazen» of a series of attacks on the church in Ukraine.

«According to the U.S. State Department’s 2022 Religious Freedom Report, the Ukrainian Security Service conducted 41,000 investigations of the UOC for allegedly collaborating with Russia and searched 350 church buildings. In December 2022, sanctions were announced against seven more high-ranking members of the UOC, including Metropolitan Pavel Lebed, vicar of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. In March 2023, the authorities attempted to expel UOC clergy from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra . Criminal charges were brought against church leaders and parishioners — often without any grounds. These attacks on the UOC are a gross violation of human rights. The Ukrainian parliament is well aware of the path it is on», — White emphasized.