Home page News
Statement made during the OSCE session on Tol…

Statement made during the OSCE session on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination concerning the violation of the rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox believers

On 14 September 2017, at the session on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination of the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting that took place in Warsaw, Poland, Bishop Viktor of Baryshevka, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Representation to the European International Organizations, made a statement concerning the violation of the rights of the believers and religious organizations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

As is noted in the statement, in 2015-17 numerous cases of violation of the rights of members of the canonical Church were documented, such as seizures of churches, beatings, arsons and damages to the church property. Even with regard to the high-profile cases, in which the violations are evident and leave no room for doubts, the law-enforcement bodies did not take any effective measures to restore the rights of the faithful. Among such cases are beatings in the Yekaterinovka village of the Ternopil region, the ongoing confrontation in the Ptichya village of the Rovno region, as well as over 30 criminal procedures initiated by petitions of the members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Among other issues discussed at the OSCE session were the developments in the Kolomyia town, wherein this year attempts have been made, backed by clerics of the Greek Catholic Church, to seize a Ukrainian Orthodox church, as well the violations of the rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox community in the city of Nikolayev.

Bishop Viktor of Baryshevka pointed out to the discriminatory nature of Bills Nos. 4128, 4511 and 5309, that, despite negative conclusions of the Verkhovna Rada Chief Scientific Experts Office, protest demonstrations of the members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and numerous critical comments from representatives of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, have been once again submitted for consideration to the legislators. The hierarch noted that the unprecedented two-year delay in the registration of amendments to the statutes of dioceses and monasteries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was a sign of compound crisis in church-state relationships, and that the hate speech, widely spread in the mass media, only aggravated the conflict.

The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Representation to the European International Organizations stated with regret that, considering the current church-state relations, one could not say that the rule of law is observed in Ukraine. On behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Bishop Viktor called upon the OSCE, state-participants in the meeting and the authorities of Ukraine to take urgent measures to prevent the violation of the rights of the Orthodox Christians in the country.

The cases of violation of the rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox Christians in 2015-17 gained wide publicity at the international level, as is shown, for instance, by the statements made by the international human rights organizations in support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church during the OSCE meeting.

DECR Communication Service

Based on the information from the Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Share:
Congratulations of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to the President of Turkey on his 70th birthday

26.02.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill's condolences in connection with the murder of the monks of the Ziquala Abo Monastery in Ethiopia

24.02.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the XII Christmas Parliamentary Meetings at the Federation Council of the Russian Federation

23.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Patriarch of Constantinople is not a free man

07.01.2024

Christmas Message from Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Rus’

06.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill had phone conversation with Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol

02.01.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expresses condolences over deadly earthquake in northwest China

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates Mr Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on his re-election as President of Egypt

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill welcomes the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the decoration of the Church of St Sava in Belgrade

19.12.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presides over jubilee meeting of Inter-Religious Council of Russia

07.12.2023

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at jubilee meeting of Inter-Religious Council of Russia

07.12.2023

Patriarchal greetings on the occasion of 60th anniversary of the Diocese of Vienna and Austria

26.11.2023

Primate of Russian Church presents historic miracle-working Kazan Icon of the Mother of God to the faithful and celebrates Liturgy in the Kremlin Dormition Cathedral

04.11.2023

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the participants of the World Conference of Compatriots Living Abroad

01.11.2023

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met with the Primate of the Assyrian Church of the East

31.10.2023

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب