Swiss human rights defenders document persecution of the UOC

Logo of JPTi. Photo: JPTi website

The Geneva-based human rights organization Justice pour Tous Internationale (JPTi – “International Justice for All”) has documented systematic and egregious persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in a detailed complaint submitted to the United Nations in February 2025.

In its February 11 complaint, the organization cited concrete cases of clergy arrests, unlawful confiscation of church property, and the criminalization of religious expression under the pretext of national security. The document describes the cases of Metropolitans Theodosiy, Pavlo, Arseniy, Longin, the priest Yevhenii Koshelnyk, as well as journalists and human rights defenders.

In response, on May 14 seven UN special rapporteurs sent an official communication (AL UKR 1/2025) to the Ukrainian government, confirming violations of international law. The experts reminded Kyiv that freedom of religion is an absolute, non-derogable right, even in times of armed conflict.

On August 30, JPTi submitted a memorandum to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), calling for hearings on the persecution of Christians in Ukraine and recommending that Ukraine be placed on the list of “countries of particular concern.”

“Ukraine’s Law No. 8371, its arbitrary enforcement, and the wave of raids, violence, arbitrary detentions, prosecutions, and confiscations targeting the UOC have pushed millions of believers to the brink of worship conducted in defiance of state prescriptions,” said JPTi executive director Sharof Azizov.

The organization stressed that Ukraine must be held to the same standards USCIRF applies to Central Asian states.

JPTi is a non-profit association registered in Geneva that specializes in defending religious freedoms. The organization works with international structures to document violations of believers’ rights.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the UN accused Ukraine of persecuting clergy, communities, and journalists of the UOC.

Read also