Department for External Church Relations
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Information on violations of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been submitted to the German Bundestag
The International Human Rights Alliance "Church against Xenophobia and Discrimination" has sent its comments to the Third Report of the German Federal Government on the Situation of Freedom of Religion and Belief in the World to the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy of the Bundestag (Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany), according to the telegram channel of that association.
Information materials on the situation of religious communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were submitted to the Committee before the date of the parliamentary hearings, which were scheduled for the 24th of April 2024. In addition to written testimonies from dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the appeal was accompanied by expert opinions concerning the draft law "on banning the UOC" prepared by the international law firm “Amsterdam and Partners”, as well as the “White Book” distributed by this company on reports of violations of the rights of UOC believers.
The written appeal on behalf of the Alliance was signed by the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkassy and Kanev, the Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Cyprus, Metropolitan Timothy of Bostra (the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem), Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral (Serbian Orthodox Church), Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia (the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem), and other members of the Alliance.
It is noted that this step represents yet another action to inform the international community, which positions itself as a defender of religious freedom, about the actual situation of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. "Participants of the Alliance will continue further dialogue with members of the Bundestag and national parliaments of other countries to find effective ways to protect religious freedom in Ukraine and around the world", - stated the message.
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The international human rights association "Church against xenophobia and religious discrimination" was established in December 2023 by a number of hierarchs and clergymen of the Local Orthodox Churches together with the non-governmental organisations "Public Advocacy", "VSI Zmogaus teisiu apsauga" and "European institute for religion and law", which have a consultative status within the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
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