UN broaches the persecution of UOC in Ukraine

UN meeting on Ukraine. Photo: news.un.org

On July 26, the UN Security Council held two meetings on the Ukrainian issue, the organization's website reports. The meetings were initiated by the delegation of the Russian Federation: the Russian Federation accuses Ukraine of persecuting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Nihal Saad, Director of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, expressed concern about religious freedom and the safety of members of religious communities throughout Ukraine, both in government-controlled territories and in territories occupied by the Russian Federation.

“According to an updated report from the UN Human Rights Office, based on the work of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, from February 1 to April 30, 2023, there has been an increase in cases of violence against members and supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).”

She reported that the Ukrainian authorities conducted searches in places of religious worship and other UOC facilities, issued notices of suspicion against clergy members, and placed some of them under house arrest. In addition, the Ministry of Culture terminated the long-term lease agreement with the UOC for the state-owned Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. “After UN intervention, the authorities refrained from actions that could lead to violence and did not forcibly evict the UOC from the Lavra on the announced date of March 29,” Saad added.

The Director of the UN Alliance of Civilizations stressed that the situation in Ukraine needs to be considered comprehensively, in the context of Russia’s aggression against the country. She reminded that according to the Monitoring Mission’s data, from August 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023, the Russian armed forces committed human rights violations against members of the clergy and members of Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Christian Evangelical communities. These individuals were subjected to enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, torture, and unlawful deportations. “Moreover, the Russian occupation authorities conducted a series of raids, looted, and closed three places of worship belonging to the Baptist community in Melitopol, based on the community’s alleged ties with foreign intelligence agencies, without any or minimal evidence,” Saad noted.

The Russian side also presented its position during the meeting. Dmitry Polyansky, Acting Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, stated, "No accusations against Russia and no fabrications against the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine give Kyiv an indulgence to destroy canonical Orthodoxy."

In response, Serhiy Kyslitsa, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN addressed the Russian delegation with a question, “Who do you want to liberate us from? Why are you committing genocide against the Ukrainian people? When will your government stop verbally confessing God's law and perpetrating evil and darkness?”

The UN also listened to the report of the Orthodox writer and publicist Yan Taksiur, who was taken to Russia for an exchange after being accused of treason.

As reported by the UOJ, earlier the ROC reported the registration of three UOC eparchies in Donbas in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation.

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