DESS accuses UOC of “abusing justice system”

A meeting of the DESS Expert Council. Photo: dess.gov.ua

On March 11, 2026, the DESS Expert Council on Freedom of Conscience held a meeting at which officials and “religious scholars” discussed lawsuits against the canonical Church and the reform of state-church relations, according to the agency’s official website.

The central topic of discussion was the progress of cases seeking to terminate the activity of the Kyiv Metropolia of the UOC and the Holy Trinity Stavropegial Convent in Korets. The agency’s lawyers briefed the “experts” on the current status of the lawsuits, prompting a wave of dissatisfaction among those present. During the discussion, council members argued that the actions of representatives of the Kyiv Metropolia bore “clear signs of abusing the justice system.” In DESS’s view, the Church’s effort to defend its rights in court is merely an attempt to delay proceedings and prevent the cases from being considered on their merits.

Beyond the litigation, the “experts” also presented their vision of a new model for interaction between the state and religious organizations. In particular, they proposed reviving the groundwork of the 2003–2004 Concept in order to establish “clear regulatory boundaries” for the Church in such areas as chaplaincy for servicemen and social ministry. Participants in the meeting placed special emphasis on the need to “preserve the secular nature of the state,” suggesting that policy should be guided by the interests of “decentralized and independent communities” without rigid hierarchy.

Earlier, the UOJ reported on how Yelensky discussed with the UCCRO plans to “advocate” for freedom of religion in Ukraine abroad.

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