50 MPs urge VR Speaker to seek opinion from Venice Commission on UOC ban

Verkhovna Radaю Photo: VR website

A group of 51 Members of Parliament has called on the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, to approach the Venice Commission regarding the draft law 8371, which prohibits the UOC (Ukrainian Orthodox Church). This law was passed in the first reading, as reported by NV, which published a photo of the document.

In the text, the MPs request Stefanchuk, within the scope of his powers, to "contact the Venice Commission with a request to provide an opinion on the conformity of the draft Law 'On Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Activities of Religious Organizations in Ukraine,' registration number 8371 dated 19.01.23, to constitutional and international law, European standards, and values."

As of November 25, 51 Members of Parliament, including Artem Dmytruk, Yevhen Shevchenko, Serhiy Liovochkyn, Maksym Buzhanskyi, Olha Savchenko, Andriy Motovylovets, Pavlo Khalimon, Pavlo Frolov, Margaryta Shol, Oleksandr Fedienko, Serhiy Laryn, Mykola Skoryk, Suto Mamoyan, Yuri Pavlenko, Antonina Slavytska, Yevhen Bragar, Volodymyr Moroz, and others, have signed the appeal.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the draft law banning the UOC would be considered in the second reading by the end of the year.

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