On January 24th, a press conference titled "Nothing Sacred: War Crimes of Russian Occupiers against Religious Communities and Clergymen" took place. The event was initiated by the Center for Civil Liberties and the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform. Experts presented evidence of religious persecution in the occupied territories and violations of International Humanitarian Law by the aggressor concerning religious buildings during armed conflicts.
This was reported by the Center for Civil Liberties.
Speakers at the conference included Vyacheslav Likhachov, a member of the Expert Council of the Center for Civil Liberties, Viktor Yelensky, the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, Yevhen Zakharov, the director of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group, and Ruslan Khalikov, a religious studies expert and head of the "Religion in Fire" project.
Vyacheslav Likhachov explained the importance of discussing the crimes committed by occupiers against clergy and religious values. He emphasized that religious persecution has been a part of a consistent system of practices in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and contemporary Russia. Likhachov highlighted that Russia attempts to portray itself as a defender of traditional conservative values on the international stage. He pointed out that religious persecution has been observed for almost two years during the full-scale aggression, but it had been present for nearly a decade in previously occupied territories.
Viktor Yelensky added that Russia cannot be a defender of traditional values, given its internal issues such as crime rates, suicides, and alcoholism. He stated that the current Russia is an inherent enemy of freedom of conscience and an opponent of free will and thought.
Ruslan Khalikov presented data from the "Religion in Fire" project regarding the destruction of religious structures during the war. He mentioned that religious buildings often become unintended targets due to the indiscriminate nature of Russian shelling. Khalikov provided examples of deliberate attacks on religious objects, indicating cases where reconnaissance drones were used before attacks.
Yevhen Zakharov, from the Kharkiv Human Rights Group, shared information on documented incidents of war crimes, specifically related to clergy members. He mentioned cases of intentional killings, injuries, and deportations of priests, as well as the desecration and seizure of churches by Russian forces.
The press conference aimed to expose and condemn the war crimes committed by Russian occupiers against religious communities and clergy in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.