MP suspects the Cabinet may sabotage the implementation of Law 8371

MP Volodymyr Ariev. Photo: Facebook

Volodymyr Ariev, an MP from the European Solidarity party, expressed concerns that the government might sabotage the implementation of Law No. 8371, aimed at banning the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Speaking on the Priamiy TV channel, he stated that without strengthening the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) with professional lawyers, the law's implementation could be delayed due to numerous legal battles.

"It’s good that we celebrated the adoption of the law, but now all efforts must be directed at ensuring its enforcement. Whether the religious department of the FSB in Ukraine will truly sever ties with Moscow now depends entirely on the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience. The full responsibility for implementing this law now falls on it," Ariev noted.

The MP recalled a precedent when the UOC ignored the enforcement of a law previously passed against it. This refers to the "renaming law", which required UOC communities to indicate their affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in their names.

"For example, the law that renamed the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine was sabotaged by the Ministry of Justice for five years. And in this case, we see that the law itself provides many opportunities to challenge the decisions of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, but currently, DESS has only one lawyer, while there will be thousands of lawsuits when the nine-month period expires. Either the state funds the necessary legal support for DESS, or DESS must attract volunteer lawyers to represent the state in court against the restoration of the Moscow Church. So, in this case, there is still much work to be done," Ariev explained.

As reported by the UOJ, Polish media criticized the law No. 8371 passed by the Rada.

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