UOC (MP) accuses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine of silencing the instances of oppression of religious freedom and pressure on its communities

The Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, citing the official website of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church states: “Despite the numerous violations of the law on freedom of conscience and religious organizations that have been established by the OSCE mission in Ukraine, the official Internet resource of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said on February 4 that “in Ukraine there is no persecution on religious grounds,” and the latter messages are "the charges brought by the aggressor.”

The Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, citing the official website of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church states: “Despite the numerous violations of the law on freedom of conscience and religious organizations that have been established by the OSCE mission in Ukraine, the official Internet resource of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said on February 4 that “in Ukraine there is no persecution on religious grounds,” and the latter messages are "the charges brought by the aggressor.”

 

The report of the UOC (MP) states that on January 3, the IV meeting of the Public Council for cooperation with religious organizations to the MFA of Ukraine was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. On the blessing of Metropolitan Onyfriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Archpriest Mykolai Danylevych attended the Council.

 

In his speech, as the UOC (MP) notes, Archpriest Mykolai Danylevych  focused on the need not to ignore the numerous violations of the rights of parishioners and communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that were taking place in some regions of Ukraine. The priest noted in particular that these offenses against the UOC believers included forced seizure of churches, omissions of certain local executive authorities, failure to enforce judicial resolutions for the protection of the rights of believers and others.

 

Despite the statement by the official representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, “Council members exchanged views on remedies for the protection of the rights of believers of different faiths in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and stressed in their speeches that in Ukraine there was no harassment on religious grounds,” the press-center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports.

In addition, the UOC (MP) complains that “the report of the official website of the MFA did not mention the statement of Archpriest Mykolai, and only noted that the information on violations of the rights of believers in Ukraine are “the charges brought by the aggressor.”