In the occupied territory of the Kherson region, invaders are forcing priests and parishioners to switch to the Russian Orthodox Church. The occupation authorities in the Kherson region, together with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, are confiscating founding documents of local religious organizations from local priests, threatening them for refusing to accept Russian citizenship, and demanding the re-registration of the community under Russian law within the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church.
This was reported by the OCU Eparchy of Kherson, publishing an appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada, Dmitry Lubinets, according to Ukrinform.
"The Russian occupation authorities, together with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, violate the constitutional rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens based on their religious or political beliefs," the statement said.
It is noted that with the support of the occupation authorities, a staff of the so-called Skadovsk Eparchy is being formed. Local priests have their founding documents of religious organizations confiscated, and they are threatened with disconnection from electricity, gas, water supplies, and "other punishments" in the middle of winter for refusing to accept Russian citizenship and re-register the religious community under Russian law within the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It is emphasized that by religious oppression, the occupation authorities, together with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, violate the rights of Ukrainian citizens and the requirements of Ukrainian legislation, in particular, Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations," as well as Articles 13 and 27 of the Geneva Convention "On the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War."
"The hierarchs of the religious structure headed by Metropolitan Onufriy (Berezovsky) remain silent, so we turn to protect the clergy and communities who still consider themselves under their jurisdiction and suffer. After all, they are on our canonical territory, which includes the entire Kherson region," the appeal says.
The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada is asked to take measures to protect civilians in wartime, including at the international level.