MP: Authorities fail to destroy UOC in secret from world community

MP Artem Dmytruk. Photo: hromadske.ua

Repressions against the UOC are gaining increasing attention worldwide, and this poses a significant risk of reputational damage for Ukrainian authorities, said MP Artem Dmytruk.

"The attack on religious freedom and violations of believers' rights, sanctioned in the highest officers of power, have faced unprecedented public response," the parliamentarian wrote on his Telegram channel. "But all attempts to defend their rights and freedoms are subjected to repressive actions by the authorities. Such arbitrariness could not go unnoticed by the international community."

The deputy noted that the video interview of American journalist Tucker Carlson with American lawyer Bob Amsterdam, in which they discussed the persecution of the UOC, has been watched by over 100 million citizens in the United States and European countries. "Elon Musk and other international public figures have expressed their concern."

According to the people's deputy, "Bob Amsterdam is not trying to soften his rhetoric; he is outraged by the revealed facts and events."

"Ukrainian authorities must understand that secretly destroying the Church of millions of believers will not work, and the reputational losses will be significant. The sooner they stop this lawlessness, the better. Better for everyone. The people, the state, and the government," stressed Artem Dmytruk.

As reported, MEPs from the Netherlands and Germany, Marcel de Graaff and Joachim Kuhs, have urged the European Commission to react to the persecution of the UOC by Ukrainian authorities.

Read also