International Lawyers of the UOC Appeal to Western Leaders over Persecution of Metropolitan Onufriy

The legal firm Amsterdam & Partners, representing the interests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) on the international stage, has sent official letters to top Western leaders expressing deep concern over the repressive actions of the Ukrainian authorities against His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy. This was reported by the «First Cossack» channel.

The letters are addressed to the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the heads of EU institutions, and leaders of European states. The lawyers specifically highlight the Ukrainian government’s attempt to strip Metropolitan Onufriy of his citizenship—an action they describe as politically motivated and in violation of Ukraine’s obligations under the European Convention on Nationality and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Attorney Robert Amsterdam stated that this move is part of a broader campaign of state pressure on the UOC, including arrests of clergy, forced seizures of church property, and efforts to pass a law banning the Church. “Stripping Metropolitan Onufriy of his Ukrainian citizenship is a deliberate attack on the religious authority of a widely respected and beloved man of God,” he emphasized.

The lawyers reminded leaders that UOC clergy—among them thousands of military chaplains and lay members—actively serve on the front lines defending Ukraine. In this context, the persecution of the Church only deepens societal division and undermines national unity.

In conclusion, the legal team urged Western leaders to publicly remind Ukraine of its obligations to uphold human rights, religious freedom, and the rule of law: “Security efforts must not come at the cost of civil liberties, especially when such abuses threaten Ukraine’s future as a democratic and pluralistic state.”

It should be noted that Robert Amsterdam, head of Amsterdam & Partners LLP, who represents the legal interests of the UOC, previously warned Viktor Yelensky, head of Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, of potential international accountability should the pressure on the Church continue.