Ethnopolitics Dept. finds constitutional violations in UOC Synod statement

On 13 May 2022, the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience published an official statement regarding the text of the Synod meeting that was posted on the website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The state officials saw in it the statements which could be regarded as inciting religious hatred, insulting religious feelings and even justifying the RF's war against Ukraine.

The State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience did not quote specific statements of the UOC Synod participants which violate the Constitution of Ukraine but stressed the inadmissibility of humiliating the honour and dignity of the OCU believers.

"We draw attention to the fact that the legislation guarantees everyone the right to honour and dignity. We emphasize the inadmissibility of fomenting religious hatred and insulting the feelings of citizens related to their religious views," the text of the statement reads.

Commenting on the Synod statement about the lawlessness of local authorities against the UOC, the SSEP officials said that the Church has "the right to appeal in the order established by law against decisions of local or central authorities, local self-government bodies, and their officials”.

As reported, on 12 May, the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church officially condemned the Russian aggression and urged Vladimir Zelensky to pay attention to the facts of religiously motivated incitement by the OCU and attempts to ban the activity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

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