UN experts find Ukraine's response to the situation with the UOC unsatisfactory

United Nations experts have recognized as unsatisfactory the response of the Ukrainian authorities to official reports on violations of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Against the background of growing criticism of the persecution of the UOC, human rights activists report that the facts of violations have been recognized at the international level.

According to the human rights organization Public Advocacy, it was the organization that initiated consultations with the UN Special Rapporteurs on the problems of the UOC in 2024. The organization has sent complaints on specific facts of persecution, seizures of temples and cases of persons who are subjected to illegal persecution. It is noted that the UN experts continue to liaise with the Ukrainian authorities on this issue.

As a result of this work, all 10 persons named in the complaints, as well as all documented episodes of temple seizures and key areas of violations of the rights of UOC believers were included in the UN documents. Thus, they were recognized as facts of human rights violations by the state of Ukraine.

Human rights defenders from Public Advocacy also prepared a special legal opinion. It contains norms of international law, references to the practice of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and interpretations of legal norms by UN experts. This document is intended to be submitted by lawyers and persecuted persons in Ukrainian courts to defend their rights.

As a reminder, the Geneva-based human rights organization Justice for All International (JPTi) documented the facts of persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by filing a detailed complaint with the UN. In response, UN experts sent an official appeal to the Ukrainian government, confirming violations of international law. In addition, the organization appealed to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) with a demand to hold hearings on the issue and to add Ukraine to the list of countries of particular concern.