Earlier, we reported that the International Human Rights Organization Human Rights Watch criticized Law No. 3894 (formerly No. 8371), aimed at banning the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The organization believes that the law banning the UOC grossly violates 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 called on the Ukrainian government to stop the implementation of Law No. 3894 and send it to the Venice Commission for legal expertise.
The law does not prohibit professing one's faith with dignity - Deputy Head of the OP on the ban of the UOC
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Olena Kovalska commented on the scandalous law No. 3894 (formerly No. 8371), which aims to ban the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The official is convinced that the level of religious freedom in Ukraine is at the highest level, adding that the law does not prohibit the worthy practice of one’s faith, but only requires the UOC to withdraw from the Moscow Patriarchate. Kovalska said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
“In August of this year, the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Field of Religious Organizations” was adopted. Its main purpose is to protect national and public security, human rights and freedoms. None of the provisions of this law can be interpreted as restricting the freedom to practice religion or belief, the right to observe religious practice and rituals. The law should make it impossible for churches to operate under the control of a state that is carrying out aggression against Ukraine, i.e. Russia. It is aimed at putting an end to the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. It is not about bans and splitting society, but about ending the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is not the inspiration for aggression against Ukraine but a full-fledged participant in it. In no way is it about preventing people who have been members of the church from professing their faith and expressing their religious feelings with dignity. There is an important clarification that if a church affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church withdraws from it, makes a corresponding statement, and provides the relevant documents, this law does not apply to it. The law sets out the criteria for determining whether a religious organization is affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church,” — Kovalska said.
At the same time, the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine complained that not everyone in the world shares the position of the Ukrainian government regarding the adopted law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Kovalska said that Robert Amsterdam and some US politicians who criticize Law 3894 have actually become subjects of Russia’s information campaign.
“You know, our enemy invests huge amounts of money not only in promoting its cultural products, but also in information campaigns. They find sensitive topics and begin to “shake them up”. This also applies to religion. They take a specific case and turn it into an information campaign. And then a story emerges that has nothing to do with the real facts. However, they are silent about the fact that priests of the OCU and UOC were killed in the occupied territories. And not a single religious organization that has ties to Moscow has even expressed condolences in this regard,” — the official added.
Read also
