Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Matteo Mecacci, in response to the appeal of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia about the violation of the rights of clergy and believers of the UOC, assured the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church that the organization is monitoring the ongoing pressure on the UOC. About it reports the site of the communication service of the DECR ROC.

It is reported that in April 2024 Patriarch Kirill sent messages to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches and a number of religious figures, as well as addressed to representatives of international organizations. In the messages, His Holiness spoke about the blatant cases of persecution of hierarchs, clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including searches in the Dormition Lavra of Sviatogorsk and the arrest of its vicar, Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatogorsk, the imprisonment of Orthodox journalists charged with high treason for publishing about violations of the rights of UOC believers, and the banning and blocking of Internet news resources covering the religious policy of the authorities and the situation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He also raised again the issue of the ongoing preparations in the Ukrainian parliament for the adoption in the second reading of the bill No. 8371, the purpose of which “is the actual ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as facilitating the process of seizure of its churches and property, which is not hidden in their public speeches by the legislators themselves”.

In turn, the OSCE thanked the Patriarch for the report and assured that they are monitoring the ongoing violations of the rights of believers in Ukraine. “I can assure you that the OSCE Office for Democratic institutions and human rights in accordance with its mandate will continue to monitor developments regarding freedom of religion and belief, including in Ukraine”, – wrote in response Matteo Mecacci.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent an appeal to the heads of local Orthodox churches and other religious figures, in which he described flagrant violations of the rights of believers and clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.