Bishop Viсtor (Kotsaba) reports to OSCE on infringement of rights of UOC believers

On September 14, Head of the Representative Office of the UOC at the European International Organizations, Bishop Victor (Kotsaba), spoke about the difficult situation of the parishioners of the canonical Church in Ukraine at the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) of OSCE in Warsaw, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

Bishop Victor told the audience that since 2015 the most numerous religious confession of Ukraine has been forced to regularly report on the critical situation of the infringement of UOC believers’ rights and freedoms at OSCE conferences and meetings on religious freedom and human rights protection issues. For three years the situation has not changed for the better, and it cannot be said that the Ukrainian state bodies ensure equality, non-discrimination and the rule of law with regard to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Speaking about the most egregious cases of discrimination against believers of the UOC, the head of the Representative Office of the UOC at the European International Organizations summarized:

"In this regard, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church:

1.Recommends the State of Ukraine, through statements of its civil servants, to publicly condemn the actions of radical organizations and offenders who openly commit crimes against religious organizations and believers of our confession.

2. Recommends that the OSCE participating States provide the State of Ukraine with recommendations in the UN Universal Periodic Review process of the 28th session of the Human Rights Council, which will consider the fulfillment of our country's commitment to ensure human rights in November 2017. Providing such recommendations on the above problems will undoubtedly contribute to the protection of human rights and the real provision of freedom of religion in our country.

3. Calls on the OSCE, the participating States of this meeting: through consultations and other means of communication, to facilitate the removal of discriminatory bills Nos. 4128,4511,5309 from the agenda of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and to facilitate the cessation of offenses against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church."

The topics for the OSCE meeting this year include issues of protecting child rights, countering aggressive nationalism, combating discrimination in the religious field. The meeting was attended by diplomatic representatives of the OSCE participating States, international human rights organizations, as well as a number of representatives of civil society.

The speeches and materials of the meeting are included in diplomatic reports and the OSCE database and used for decision-making at the highest political level.