The UN called the searches of UOC MP churches “discriminatory”. Ukraine asked not to confuse freedom with undermining national security

Author:
Anhelina Sheremet
Date:

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine called the searches in the temples of the Moscow Patriarchate "discriminatory". He stated that in its report on the situation with respect for human rights. Ukraine stated that freedom is not the same as the right to engage in activities that undermine national security.

Ukraineʼs position was declared on March 27 by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oleh Nikolenko.

He also called on the UN to refrain from unbalanced political assessments and to base its reports on facts.

What kind of report?

On March 24, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine published a report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, which covers the period from August 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023.

During the reporting period, the UN recorded, in addition to searches in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP), a total of 5 987 victims among the civilian population, including 1 605 dead and 4 382 wounded. The mission also documented the killing of 21 civilians by Russian armed forces and the abduction of five boys aged 14 to 17 by Russian armed forces (all children were tortured and otherwise ill-treated, and in one case the child was deported to Belarus). The UN also recorded 133 cases of sexual violence. The report also contains information about the "executions" of Russian prisoners.

On the territory of Ukraine, the mission documented 91 cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions (79 men, 12 women) — these are suspects of cooperation or other forms of assistance to the Russian armed forces. Some detainees told UN representatives that they were beaten during arrest or after being transferred to detention centers.

  • Since November 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has conducted a series of searches in churches and other institutions of the Moscow Patriarchate. During the searches, they seized pro-Russian literature, "Novorossiya" flags, millions of cash, literature denying the existence of the Ukrainian people and its language, as well as the very right of Ukraine to statehood (and, on the contrary, it is emphasized that this is an allegedly artificially created state).