The court will consider the case of Zelensky's sanctions against the UOC

On July 30, 2024, a court hearing will be held on the case of Vladimir Zelensky’s sanctions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, signed by him in 2022. The consideration will include illegal deprivation of citizenship and personal sanctions against the hierarchs of the UOC, as well as the decree on «religious expertise» of the Charter of the Church. This was reported by the lawyer of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

It is reported that we are talking about the Decree 820/2022, in which the head of state demanded:

1. «Resolve without delay the issue of attributing the State Service of Ukraine on Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience to the central bodies of executive power, whose activities are directed and coordinated directly by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; Resolve the issues of functional subordination to the State Service of Ukraine on Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience structural subdivisions of local state administrations, whose powers include the issues of realization of the right to freedom of conscience and religion, the activities of religious organizations, the activities of religious organizations, and the activities of the State Service of Ukraine on Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience.

2. The State Service of Ukraine on Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience shall ensure within two months in accordance with the Law of Ukraine «On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations» to conduct a religious examination of the Statute of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the presence of church-canonical connection with the Moscow Patriarchate, if necessary to take measures provided for by law;

3. The Security Service of Ukraine, together with the National Police of Ukraine and other state bodies whose competence includes issues in the sphere of ensuring national security, to intensify measures to identify and counteract subversive activities of Russian special services in the religious environment of Ukraine;

4. Support the proposals made by the Security Service of Ukraine on the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions);

5. To apply personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) to individuals».

We shall remind you that in view of the mentioned decree by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, personal sanctions were imposed on 14 bishops and dozens of clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.