Human Rights Watch criticized the law banning the UOC

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch has criticized the law No 3894 (formerly No 8371) aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The organization believes that the law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church grossly violates the human rights to freedom of conscience and, according to its provisions, will make it impossible for Ukraine’s largest religious denomination to function. Human Rights Watch urged the Ukrainian government to stop the implementation of the law No 3894 and send it to the Venice Commission for legal expertise. Information about this was published on the official website of the organization.

“The Ukrainian authorities, understandably, want to address state security concerns in the context of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. But the law interferes with the right to freedom of religion and is so broad that it could violate the rights of members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” – said Hugh Williamson, director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch.

The organization added that the Ukrainian government should suspend the law and ask the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional issues, and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to conduct an expert analysis of the law, which would form the basis for a human rights-based review.

“Ukrainian authorities should address any security concerns related to the activities of religious organizations or personnel that threaten state security, whether they are individuals or specific religious communities, rather than effectively banning entire religious communities based only on alleged affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church. Widespread application of the new law has serious practical consequences for Ukrainian Orthodox Church communities and millions of parishioners. These range from restrictions on the ownership and exploitation of religious property to difficulties in accessing places of worship and an increased risk of surveillance and harassment by security services. Any persecution or punishment based not on specific unlawful acts, but solely on the commitment to the peaceful practice of faith, constitutes religious discrimination and is prohibited by international human rights law,” – the statement said.

We will remind, earlier in the United Nations Organization published a new report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report, among other things, cites numerous cases of court decisions and arrests of clergymen of the UOC, which cause concern in human rights circles in the West. In addition, the document mentions the adoption of the anti-church law No. 3894 (formerly No. 8371), by which the government wants to completely restrict the activity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.