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US State Department Criticizes Religious Freedom Situation at Local Level in Ukraine

03.08.2012, 09:30
US State Department published a regular report on monitoring of religious freedom for 2011.

US State Department published a regular report  on monitoring of religious freedom for 2011. The authors of the document state in the section regarding Ukraine that at the legislative level, the religious freedom is protected and duly respected by the government. “The government does not show any tendencies of improvement or deterioration of the situation regarding the respect and protection of rights of religious freedom,” says the report. At the same time, the authors specify that local authorities occasionally allow themselves to take sides in disputes between religious communities. The problem of restitution of property remains actual. The authorities gradually settle the issue as they transfer communal property to religious organizations.

There are no problems at the legislative level: the constitution and other laws protect religious freedom. However, religious minorities at the local level complain about unequal treatment of religious communities by the authorities. In the east and south of Ukraine, Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics and Muslims complain about this, and in the western Ukraine, the authorities “slowly respond” to requests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate.

The restitution of property confiscated by the Soviet authorities remains problematic. Muslims, Greek Catholics and Jews report such problems most often. The delays are connected with budget limitations and disputes between various communities, state organizations and private companies.

The authors of the report also pay attention to raider attacks against religious communities connected with the uncertain status of the property.

The manifestations of anti-Semitism reported by the representatives of the US State Department include the march “Uman without Hasidim” conducted by Svoboda Association, acts of vandalism at Jewish monuments and football games where anti-Semitic slogans were heard.