The law prohibiting the activities of churches connected with Russia entered into force

On Monday, September 23, Law No. 3894-IX on banning the activities of churches connected with Russia entered into force.

This is stated on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.

The law stipulates that the activities of foreign religious organizations that simultaneously meet the following criteria are prohibited on the territory of Ukraine:

• are located (whose administrative center is located) in a state that is recognized as having carried out or is carrying out armed aggression against Ukraine and/or temporarily occupied part of the territory of Ukraine;
• directly or indirectly (including through public speeches of leaders or other management bodies) support armed aggression against Ukraine.

At the same time, a number of provisions of the law will enter into force later. In particular, the communities of the UOC MP still have eight months to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. After the end of this term, the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience will be able to apply to the court with a claim to terminate the activities of religious organizations that still have such connections at that time.

Prohibition of the UOC MP in Ukraine

On January 19, 2023, the government submitted to the Council a draft law banning churches affiliated with Russia in Ukraine. This was done on the instructions of the National Security and Defense Council. On October 19, 2023, the parliament supported this draft law in the first reading.

On July 23, 2024, a number of MPs blocked the rostrum of the Rada due to the refusal to put the project to a vote. However, the voting did not take place then. The Speaker of the Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk said that the deputies decided to concentrate on finalizing certain provisions of the law so that it could be put to a vote as soon as possible.

On August 15, Zelensky called on the Verkhovna Rada to act quickly in the decision on "religious independence." And the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epiphany called on the Primate of the UOC MP Metropolitan Onufry to dialogue about unity.

Already on August 20, the Verkhovna Rada supported the draft law on banning religious organizations associated with Russia.