Viktor Yelensky informed U.S. congressmen about violations of believers' rights in the temporarily occupied territories
This was reported by the DESS website.
The delegation included representatives from the defense, diplomatic, humanitarian, economic, and human rights sectors.
On June 5, during the visit, the Ukrainian delegation held an analytical briefing for 23 senators from both political parties in the U.S. Congress. The briefing addressed the security, humanitarian, and economic situation in Ukraine, as well as issues related to human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories.
Andrii Yermak, the Head of the Office of the President, reported on the negotiation process aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace. He emphasized that Ukraine did not start this war but is eager for it to end, while Russia is deliberately prolonging hostilities and using the negotiation format to advance further aggression. He highlighted the destructive behavior of the Russian delegation during the negotiations as a notable example of this.
In his address to representatives of the U.S. Congress, Viktor Yelensky spoke about the state of freedom of conscience and religion amid the full-scale war. He highlighted significant violations of the rights of believers in the temporarily occupied territories, including the persecution of clergy, the destruction of religious buildings, and targeted pressure from the Russian occupation authorities.
Alongside Viktor Yelensky, Pastor Mykhailo Brytsyn from a church in Melitopol, currently under Russian occupation, shared his personal testimony regarding religious persecution and the humanitarian challenges faced daily by residents of the temporarily occupied territories.
