After the adoption of bill № 4128 church seizures will become more frequent, – politologist

Ruslan Bortnik, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Institute of Analysis and Management Policy, said that if passed, bill № 4128 will escalate inter-religious confrontation in Ukraine. So the political the analyst commented on putting the draft law to the vote in the Parliament on 6 October.

"Chances that the bill will be voted in favor I would describe as 50/50, - said Ruslan Bortnik. – There are some more "solid" bills scheduled for Thursday’s vote. Regarding the legislative initiative № 4128, it is absolutely conflict. If adopted, this will lead to increased inter-religious confrontation in Ukraine, to an even greater regionalization of Churches. That is, in the West of Ukraine there will be the UOC church grabs, and in the East and the South – seizures of the UOC-KP churches. There is a chance that the bill will not be voted. They will most likely have no time for the voting."

According to experts, bill № 4128 confuses the distinction between religious and municipal communities and enables people far removed from the Church’s life to have a serious impact on it.

The bill has been heavily criticized by human rights organizations in Europe.