DESS: Humiliating citizens of Ukraine due to their church identity is wrong

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience stated that cases of humiliation and persecution of Ukrainian citizens because of their affilliation to the UOC are unacceptable. This is said in a document published in response to claims from the “synod” of the OCU.

The statement says that the DESS strongly condemns cases of collaboration or the promotion of hostile propaganda by the enemy, which are not acceptable and believes that these crimes must be followed by an appropriate legal response.

“But it is also unacceptable to accuse all members of a large community of collaboration, when even less than 1% of its members are subject to suspicion, while the rest are praying for Ukraine and its defenders, collecting humanitarian aid and fighting on the front lines, crying and rejoicing together with the whole country. It is not permissible to humiliate the citizens of Ukraine, proclaim them enemies through their church identity, ethnic identity or language. Even if their church has a difficult history and a difficult present,” the State Ethnopolitics said.

Earlier, the UOJ reported the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience welcomed the aspirations of the OCU for a "broad Christian world."

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