Lawyer Robert Amsterdam claimed aggressive misinformation aimed at intimidating the defenders of the UOC

The well-known lawyer Robert Amsterdam, who defends the interests of the UOC and is now on a visit to Kiev, made a statement. About this he wrote in the network X.

«Over the past few days, we have become aware of a series of false and malicious statements published, in particular, on «Channel 5» and «Glavcom. ua», which claim that my firm Amsterdam&Partners LLP is allegedly working on behalf of Patriarch Kirill and/or the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). This statement is false and has all the hallmarks of aggressive disinformation aimed at intimidating and threatening us during our consultations with our client in Kiev», — the lawyer said.

The lawyer added that neither he nor his firm «have never had any contact or any relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill or any other representative of the clergy of this institution. We represent the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in its endeavor to survive the state-led campaign of persecution, and to protect the rights of its parishioners. These intentions were announced to the public on October 18, 2023».

«We were unable to correct Channel 5’s false information because we were told that local Ukrainian media had been ‘instructed’ not to communicate with us. During our consultations with UOC members in Kyiv this week, we documented numerous cases of harassment and false statements. The next morning after meeting with us, the special services searched the house of one UOC clergyman», — Amsterdam said.

The lawyer emphasized that he firmly rejects these «false claims of any connection with the ROC, and these crude and illegal tactics will not prevent us from working on behalf of the UOC. The right to a lawyer in Ukraine exists despite the fact that the rule of law is being challenged on a daily basis.»

We will remind, earlier we reported that on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer who defends the interests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, arrived in Kiev.