Cabinet of Ministers adopts a decision that may become a tool to protect the rights and freedoms of the OCU communities in Crimea

The Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a decision that will help protect the rights and freedoms of a religious community that in the temporarily occupied peninsula and preserve the cultural, religious and historical values that are located there and that the Russian Federation has been trying to destroy for six years. This is reported by the Government portal.

This was reported by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Oksana Kolyada. Members of the Government supported the resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine developed by Mininstry of Veterans on the protection of the right to freedom of belief and religion of the faithful of the Crimean diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (OCU) and the retention of the premises of the Cathedral of saints Prince Volodymyr and Princess Olga.

After it is signed by the Prime Minister, this resolution will be sent to the Verkhovna Rada for adoption.

It determines that temporarily, for the period of occupation, it is necessary to transfer the Cathedral, which is located in the city of Simferopol, from municipal ownership of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to state ownership. The CMU is charged with implementing appropriate measures for the transfer of this property estate.

"This Cathedral is not just a building – it is a space where services are held in Russian, where things of cultural and historical value are stored for us. This center of Ukrainian culture is a stake in the throat of the enemy, which he tried to eliminate all 6 years by various means, in particular by making arrests on the building and property, trying to evict the clergy and oust the faithful from there," the Minister said.

She also noted that the state should recognize that during this time the issue of protection of the Cathedral was not settled in the legal field.

"But we eliminate this by providing the state with tools to protect its property and valuables during the occupation of the peninsula. And we will use this tool to appeal to international organizations and partner states to protect the Ukrainian Cathedral and its faithful from the occupier," added Oksana Kolyada.

She also thanked those who, although forced to live in the temporary occupation of the Russian Federation, continue to profess Ukrainian values. In particular, she thanked those clergymen who remained loyal to the OCU and, despite the harassment, continued their activities on the Peninsula and separately to the Archbishop of the Crimean diocese of the OCU, Klyment, for the work that he continues to do in this direction.

Oksana Kolyada also appealed to the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada with a request to take into account and agree on this resolution.