Ukraine parliament adopts ban on religious organizations linked to Russia – JURIST

The Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, announced on Thursday their adoption of decision number 8371, which bans religious organizations who have colluded with armed aggressors from operating within the state. This appears to be aimed at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has been accused of collaborating with Russia.

More than 250 members of parliament approved of the adoption which required only 226 votes. At the close of the plenary session, Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman, announced the proposal:

[T]o amend certain laws of Ukraine, providing for provisions to prevent religious organisations from operating in Ukraine, the governing centre (management) of which is located outside Ukraine in a state that carries out armed aggression against Ukraine.

Roughly 16 percent of Ukrainian citizens follow the church, which is distinct from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The church claims that it is not currently aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church and has disputed the allegations made against it. It further argues that the law may be unconstitutional and denies the charges leveled at it by Kyiv.

The decision has received mixed responses. Analyst Volodymyr Fesenko argued that the ban could be challenged both in Ukraine and at the European Court of Human Rights. Meanwhile, Ukrainian lawmaker Iryna Herashchenko called the decision “historic” in that it provides Ukraine with a first step in its effort to “expel Moscow priests from the Ukrainian land,” arguing “is not about religion or church, but about protecting the national security of Ukraine.”

This update follows in the wake of arrests of church leaders earlier in the year, including the three-year sentence of Metropolitan Iosaf, for distributing pro-Kremlin Russian literature, and the imposition of a 60-day house arrest on Metropolitan Pavel, for allegedly promoting inter-confessional hate and supporting Russia’s armed action against Ukraine.