The US Department of State notes a number of violations of the rights of UOC believers

Over the period of 2016 year there were fixed numerous cases of violations of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It is stated in the Report on International Religious Freedom, the published by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the US Department of State on August 15, 2017.

The report highlights threats from sympathizers of the UOC-KP and nationalists toward the clergy of the UOC and participants in the Cross Procession of peace, love and prayer for Ukraine.

"On July 19, leader of the OUN Volunteer Movement Nikolai Kokhanovsky stated that his group will not allow the Processionto to get to the capital, says the report. On July 26 adherents of the Automaidan group in Odessa barred five believers of the UOC from getting on the buses, “destined for Kiev in order to participate in the above Procession. Reportedly, activists of Automaidan threatened to burn buses, forcing most drivers to cancel the trip. According to the press service of the UOC, law enforcement officers were present at the scene, but did nothing to stop the threats.”

The authors of the research refer to the case when on July 26 rivals of the UOC were throwing eggs at the participants of the cross procession in the outskirts of Borispol, organized arsons of the UOC temples in Kiev: on May 23, 2016 - the Transfiguration Church, April 24, 2016 - the Church of St. Agapit and January 5 - the Church of St. Peter Mogila. "The UOC explained these and other incidents with a slander campaign, carried out by some media outlets," the document says.

The authors also cite the illegal seizure of the UOC temple in Kolosovaya village in Kremenets district, as well as destruction of the UOC temple in Borovaya town in Kiev region, not mentioning, however, dozens of other cases of raids and discrimination of the UOV faithful, which have been repeatedly voiced by the international human rights organizagtions.

Earlier Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that 80% of the people across the world face restrictions on religious freedom.

Lexo gjithashtu