On March 8, 2024, the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Feodosiy (Snigiryov) of Cherkasy and Kanev, took part in the panel discussion “On countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence” at the UN Human Rights Council. The bishop urged human rights institutions to pay attention to the law #8371, aimed at banning the UOC, and submit it to the Venice Commission for study. This is reported by the official website of the Cherkassy diocese of the UOC.

Explaining the necessity of such a step, the hierarch drew the attention of international diplomats to the fact that “it will save millions of believers from the gross violation of their rights and prevent the legal ban of the Church”.

Metropolitan Theodosius also drew the attention of the meeting participants to the large-scale violations of religious rights and freedoms against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in modern Ukraine. The bishop spoke about the facts of beating believers, seizures of churches, expropriation of property from religious communities of the UOC and criminal persecution of clergy.

We shall remind you that the head of the committee for humanitarian and information policy, an MP of the pro-presidential party, Mykita Poturaev, said that the bill No 8371 aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church may be voted in the second reading at the end of March.