Let’s sue for insults

Activists at the Lavra are shouting insults. Photo: UOJ

Here’s a recent example: “Today, more than ever, it is imperative to pass a law banning the Russian pseudo-church FSB structure, which is disguised as the UOC-MP.” This was said by former president P. Poroshenko about the UOC. Almost every word here is a lie, an insult, and incitement of religious hatred. Why not file lawsuits every time such insults are uttered? Let them provide specific evidence for their words in court, instead of just brushing it off with "everyone knows this". And if they can’t provide evidence, let them publicly deny it and pay fines.

There are already such precedents in Ukraine. On 16 July 2024, the Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Pechersk Court of Kyiv and ordered Shabunin's Anti-Corruption Center and the resources Ukrainska Pravda and Focus to refute information about the “pro-Russian” activities of lawyer Andriy Portnov, and to pay him 40 thousand hryvnias from each of the defendants. In the summer of 2023, these resources published a blog “Collaborators, Traitors, Russia’s Accomplices”, accusing Portnov of all these cases. But it’s one thing to label someone on websites and social networks, and quite another to prove your words in court. Incidentally, A. Portnov has already won similar lawsuits against the publications “Business. Censor”, “Public Television” and the channel “Direct”.

This means that there is a prospect for potential lawsuits to protect the reputation of the UOC. If every term like “Moscow priests”, “FSB church” and similar phrases results in a lawsuit, the UOC’s adversaries will think twice before saying them. Let’s teach them to be responsible for their words and respect human rights.

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