GENEVA (Sputnik) – Ukraine’s law that allows the banning of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church recognized as canonical by the Russian Orthodox Church raises concerns about its compliance with international law regarding human rights, spokeswoman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Ravina Shamdasani said.
The UN office continues to analyze this law, but this will take time, Shamdasani told a briefing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill into law on August 24 that bans religious organizations associated with Russia from operating in Ukraine, in a move that specifically targets the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The UOC has historic links to the Russian Orthodox Church. It announced its full separation from the Moscow Patriarchate in May 2022, which was not recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
