The international human rights association "Church against xenophobia and religious discrimination" was established by a number of hierarchs and clergymen of the Local Orthodox Churches together with the non-governmental organizations "Public Advocacy", "VSI Zmogaus teisiu apsauga", "European institute for religion and law", which have consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The respective agreement was signed on December 19, 2023, according to a press release issued by the Geneva Press Club.
The creation of the new human rights association was a response to violations of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
The coordinating council of the new human rights association included: Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkassy and Kanev (Ukrainian Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn and Bratslav (Ukrainian Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Timothy of Vostr (Jerusalem Orthodox Church); Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia (Jerusalem Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad); Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovchansk (Bulgarian Orthodox Church); Archpriest Demetrius Sidor, rector of the Holy Cross Cathedral in Uzhgorod (Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
As noted in In the press release, "religious leaders and human rights activists called on the Ukrainian authorities and President Zelensky to stop violations of the rights of the UOC believers and addressed the UN special mandate holders, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Human Rights Council with statements on the facts of violations of the rights of this confession".
As is known, UN representatives have already repeatedly drawn attention to the critical situation and violations of the rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Thus, on March 24, 2023, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report on freedom of religion in Ukraine for the period from August 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023, where one of the sections, which deals with freedom of religion, talks about discrimination against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In particular, it mentions legislative initiatives aimed at its prohibition, searches in monasteries and other church buildings, interrogations of clergymen, declaring them suspects, and so on.
In the report "Review of the Human Rights Situation in Ukraine" for the period from February 1 to April 30, 2023, the UN Office for Human Rights recorded an upsurge in the use of "hate speech" and violence against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, bans on its activities by a number of regional and local authorities, termination of lease agreements on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's premises, and the use of "hate speech" against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. churches, persecution of clergy. Concern is expressed that "the cumulative impact of government actions directed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church may be discriminatory".
In addition, on November 17, 2023, Ilze Brands Caris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), made critical comments on the adoption of Bill No. 8371 in the first reading by the Verkhovna Rada.
According to the participants of the International Human Rights Association "Church against Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination", the available response remains insufficient.
They are particularly concerned about criminal cases against Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy and Kanev, Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn and Bratslav, Metropolitan Pavlo of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, Metropolitan Longin of Banchensk, and the use of such measures as detention and house arrest. At the same time, Metropolitan Jonathan has already been sentenced by the court of first instance to a heavy punishment - imprisonment for five years.
"Having conducted a legal examination of the charges brought against these religious leaders, as well as the materials of criminal cases, we have come to the conclusion that the that these criminal cases and charges are not justified and testify to organized discrimination against the UOC. In essence, the listed criminal cases are persecution for freedom of speech and for the protection of UOC believers, as well as for the expression of religious beliefs based on church canons and doctrine," the press release emphasizes. It is noted that at the same time the state authorities refuse to prosecute persons who publicly called for the seizure of temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and other acts of violence against believers of this confession, which "is clear evidence of double standards of justice and confirms the existence of a political order to deprive the rights of believers of the UOC, which has actually become a victim confession in Ukraine".
Touching upon the topic of the session of the court of appeal on the case of Metropolitan of Tulchyn and Bratslav Jonathan sentenced to imprisonment scheduled for January 22, 2024, members of the human rights association "Church against xenophobia and religious discrimination" stated that there is a high risk of a political order for an unfair conviction in this case. "In case this happens, in our opinion, the Ukrainian authorities will show the complete inability to fulfill its international obligations to respect human rights in the sphere of religion," they are convinced.
Human rights activists also keep in focus the ongoing consideration of the criminal case against Metropolitan of Cherkasy and Kanevsk Theodosiy for allegedly spreading by him the rhetoric of hostility towards representatives of another confession. "It should be taken into account that Metropolitan Feodosiy addressed the UNHRC on October 9, 2023, while considering the report of the UN High Commissioner on Ukraine during the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. In his address, as head of the Cherkassy and Kanev diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, he testified about mass seizures of churches of his diocese and other human rights violations. Now the Ukrainian authorities are insistently demanding to change his preventive measure from house arrest to detention, which in our opinion is persecution of the UN human rights defender for his legitimate international activities in defense of human rights," the press release said.
Another area of special attention is the situation with the bill No. 8371, adopted in the first reading, which provides for a complete ban and legal liquidation of all legal entities that are part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In the opinion of human rights activists, "this law unprecedentedly violates the norms of international law and is an example of open discrimination against millions of believers of the UOC on religious grounds". If adopted, the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be permanently deprived of their churches, land plots and prayer premises, as well as the opportunity to practice their faith in the communities they have established.
In addition, mass acts of violence against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church continue in Ukraine: temples are seized by force, believers are beaten with inaction and sometimes with the direct involvement of the police, the authorities take decisions to take away land plots from its religious organizations, the authorities initiate lawsuits to take away from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church the temples previously given to it by way of restitution.
The human rights activists expressed hope for an indifferent reaction of representatives of the international community and free press, who can provide "practical assistance in protecting human rights and reducing injustice and arbitrariness around the world".
OVCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
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