Metropolitan Theodosius and Robert Amsterdam spoke at the UN about the persecution of the UOC

On July 9-11, 2024, Metropolitan Feodosiy (Snigiryov), the Governor of Cherkasy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and Robert Amsterdam, head of the international human rights company Amsterdam & Partners LLP, representing the legal interests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, spoke at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The human rights activists told the international community about the ongoing persecution of the clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. About it reports the site “Cherkassy blagovestnik”.

“Dear participants of the meeting! I am the Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, I manage Cherkassy and Kanev diocese. The Security Service of Ukraine has brought a total of five criminal charges against me for expressing my beliefs about the non-canonicity of another religious denomination. […] What are we being tried for in Ukraine today? Why do we not have the right to say that our churches are being seized by representatives of another confession, and the authorities are taking away our land, taking away our monasteries, previously given to the Church by way of restitution?”, – Metropolitan Theodosius addressed the participants of the meeting.

In turn, Robert Amsterdam emphasized that the state is trying to pass a law that will ban the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which does not comply with the norms of international law.

“The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is being attacked by Ukraine. Ukraine is resorting to the destruction of freedom. The Verkhovna Rada is trying to pass a bill that will completely ban our Church. The country has embarked on a path of religious cleansing the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War II. In its persecution of priests, the government is resorting to the worst forms of Soviet psychiatric persecution, accusing priests of inciting religious hatred. The government violates its own Constitution, mixes church affairs with state affairs and turns the OCU into a state church,” – the human rights activist said.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that Ludmyla Filipovych, Doctor of Philosophy, professor at the Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, stated that the adoption of the bill No. 8371, aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is inadmissible. Filipovych is convinced that in this matter parliamentarians should listen to the opinion of international experts who criticized the law in its approved form.