Stefanchuk refuses MPs to send law on UOC ban to Venice Commission

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk. Photo: liga.net

The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, stated in an interview with "Interfax-Ukraine" that he rejected the MPs’ request to send the draft law No. 8371 on the UOC ban for examination to the Venice Commission.

According to him, the Parliament resorts to the Venice Commission only when dealing with "truly complicated bills" in the session hall.

He also noted that instead of the Venice Commission's expertise, the draft law will be assessed by the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, led by MP Nikita Poturayev.

"We proceed from the fact that the Venice Commission is not the parliamentary HNEU (Main Scientific and Expert Administration of the Verkhovna Rada apparatus) or the main legal department so we should not send everything there," he said.

Stefanchuk also explained that as soon as the Committee prepares the draft law for further consideration, it will be immediately brought to the session hall for voting in the second reading.

"The draft law should not be about someone specific selectively but should be a principle. Any denomination, any religious organisation, any Church – as soon as there is evidence of their cooperation with the Russian Federation, they must be subjected to the relevant legislative democratic measures with the possibility of judicial appeal. This cannot be done arbitrarily. Because it is no longer a matter of faith or religion but of national security," added the Verkhovna Rada Speaker.

As reported, MPs urged the Speaker of the Rada to appeal to the Venice Commission over the UOC ban.

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