Zelensky warned about banning “historical institution”

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is facing government ban due to its historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church. Photo: VALENTYN OGIRENKO/REUTERS

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been warned that the country's attempts to ban the oldest and most widely supported Christian church «will have dire consequences» for his hopes of EU membership.

On Western leaders Pressure is growing to intervene to stop the Ukrainian government from banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) due to its historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

International lawyers acting on behalf of the Holy Synod of the UOC have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging them to tell Mr Zelensky to suspend attempts to ban this historic institution.”

< p>The intervention comes as the Ukrainian parliament appears set to pass a law that would outlaw the UOC, despite being the largest in the country with 12,000 parishes.

Despite the historical ties of the UOC with the Moscow Patriarchate, it claims that it has severed ties with Russia. , supported Kyiv's independence, supported the Ukrainian government's war efforts, and criticized Vladimir Putin's invasion. But critics argue that it never declared full autocephaly from Moscow.

Ukrainian authorities accused the UOC of continuing cooperation with the Russian Federation, and its clergy were subjected to persecution, intimidation, sanctions and imprisonment.

Ukraine abandoned January 7th as Christmas and celebrated the holiday on December 25th this year. Photo: Valentin Ogirenko/REUTERS

By mid-January, parliamentarians are expected to vote in the Rada, which will go much further and actually close the church, which for centuries has been the main religious organization in Ukraine.

Visual demonstration Due to religious divisions in the country, Ukraine officially abandoned January 7th as Christmas and this year celebrated the holiday on December 25th, like Western Christian churches, following the Gregorian calendar. However, many believers chose to adhere to the ancient Julian calendar and the traditional date of January 7.

“Serious harm to Orthodox Ukrainians”

Letter from international lawyer Robert Amsterdam of Amsterdam & Partners LLP to US, UK and EU leaders describes the proposed ban on the UOC as “an overly punitive attack that will cause serious harm to Orthodox Ukrainians.”

It adds: “As a candidate for EU membership, with all that entails commitments, there is now a very serious question mark as to whether Ukraine will be able to meet its obligations in the field of human rights and the rule of law.

“This will have dire consequences for Ukraine's accession to the European Union and its place in the Western world.»

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church criticized Vladimir Putin along with Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill for the invasion. Photo: GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Mr Amsterdam has been banned from entering Russia after representing various opponents and vocal critics of Putin.

< p>He claims that the UOC said it played a vital role in supporting the country's war efforts, including «using its significant presence in Europe to support Ukrainian refugees.»

«Collaboration with the Russian regime»

According to the letter : “Despite these efforts, the Ukrainian authorities falsely accused the Church of collaborating with the Russian regime. The arrests of clergymen on trumped-up charges are particularly troubling.

“They were carried out in an arbitrary manner, which calls into question Ukraine's commitment to the rule of law. In some of these cases there are even very disturbing signs of evidence planting.”

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has already expressed concerns about religious freedom and the rule of law in connection with the Ukrainian government's repression of the UOC. .

'Dangerous precedent'

Amsterdam & Partners LLP, which has offices in London and Washington, has sent three Western leaders a 25-page «White Paper,» or dossier, detailing the persecution of the UOC and its leading clerics over the past several years.

Mr Amsterdam said : “The ongoing attacks on the UOC – its institutional structures, its members and its beliefs – by the Ukrainian government constitute a clear violation of the freedom of religion guaranteed by both international human rights law and the Ukrainian Constitution itself.” /p>

“Attempts to completely ban the Church coming before the Ukrainian parliament will create a dangerous precedent of undermining religious freedoms, which should cause concern for the international community as a whole.”