UOC Lawyer: Dumenko Tries to Present Church Persecution as a “Big Lie”

International legal representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Robert Amsterdam, harshly criticized a statement made by the head of the OCU, Epiphaniy Dumenko, during a meeting with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine, Julie Davis. Amsterdam expressed his reaction on social media platform X.

During the meeting, Dumenko assured the American diplomat that all reports of persecution against the UOC were supposedly “Russian disinformation.” This statement, distributed by the OCU’s press service, sparked a wave of indignation among defenders of religious freedom.

Responding to the statement, Robert Amsterdam wrote on his X account: “It is frightening to watch how Ukraine is practicing the tactic of the Big Lie.” The lawyer also quoted an article by “UOJ in America” covering Dumenko’s visit.

As a reminder, on July 29, 2025, Epiphaniy Dumenko met at his residence with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine, Julie Davis. During the bilateral discussion, Dumenko presented his position on the banning of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in defending canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine.