The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has rejected the UNʼs accusations that Ukraine is allegedly restricting religious freedoms.
The 41st periodic report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights dated December 31, 2024, mentioned the Law "On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organizations" — it prohibits the activities of churches affiliated with Russia.
The report noted that Ukrainian authorities have imposed “disproportionate restrictions on the freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief”. The UN says this allegedly “violates international standards” because “national security is not a sufficient basis for restricting religious freedom under international treaties”.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry noted that the UN report "distorts reality" because the law does not provide for the banning of any of the churches existing in Ukraine.
Ukrainian diplomats reminded the UN that Russia is systematically using religion as a weapon in its war of aggression against Ukraine. Through the Russian Orthodox Church, Russia sanctifies atrocities against Ukrainians and praises the criminals who commit them, the department emphasized.
In this context, Ukraine must protect Ukrainians from the destructive influence of Russia, in particular by using religious organizations, which in the Russian Federation are intertwined with the state.
The Ministry emphasized that the law pursues a "legitimate goal" and provides for a democratic procedure in which the court has the final say. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects that the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission will continue to provide objective assessments of the real situation with freedom of religion in Ukraine in its reports.
Ban on the UOC-MP in Ukraine
On January 19, 2023, the government submitted to the Rada a draft law to ban 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 bill in the first reading.
On July 23, 2024, a number of MPs blocked the Rada rostrum due to the refusal to put the draft to a vote. However, the vote never took place. Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said that the deputies decided to focus on finalizing individual provisions of the law so that it could be put to a vote as soon as possible.
On August 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the Verkhovna Rada to act promptly in deciding on “religious independence”. And the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epiphanius called on the Primate of the UOC MP Metropolitan Onufryi to engage in a dialogue about unity.
On August 20, the Rada supported a draft law banning religious organizations affiliated with Russia. And on September 23, 2024, the law banning the activities of churches affiliated with Russia came into force.
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