Robert Amsterdam accused the West of ignoring the persecution of the UOC and corruption in Ukraine

US attorney Robert Amsterdam, who represents the interests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), harshly criticized Western countries at a panel discussion in the UK. He accused them of being “blind to reality in Ukraine,” ignoring the large-scale corruption, anti-democratic processes and persecution of UOC believers.

During a discussion on British journalist Piers Morgan’s show on corruption scandals and peace talks, Amsterdam said he represented the Church persecuted by the Ukrainian authorities. He said that in a country where people are exhausted by the war and seeking an end to it, the authorities involved in corruption have built an anti-democratic system.

The human rights activist’s speech provoked a sharp reaction. American financier Bill Browder accused Amsterdam of having “changed from the days when he fought against Putin.” In response, the lawyer emphasized the consistency of his position: “I’m not arguing or disagreeing about Russia here. I am saying that you and many others are blind to the reality in Ukraine. I have been to Ukraine. I represent this persecuted Church in Ukraine, where priests are being beaten and churches are being taken over.”

Amsterdam also added that he has been attacked by security services in Ukraine for his fight for democracy and religious freedom. “I have not changed. Changed the West,” he concluded.

Recall, earlier we reported that the head of the Archdiocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the United States, Archbishop Elpidophoros, reiterated his concern about Ukrainian Law No. 3894, saying that it poses a threat to the religious freedom of millions of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This position was voiced in the context of a meeting of Orthodox Christians with U.S. lawmakers in Washington, DC.