Provisions of modified draft law on UOC become known

The hall of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Photo: rada.gov.ua

Mykola Kniazhytsky, a Member of Parliament from "European Solidarity", published the main provisions of the modified version of draft law No. 8371 on the ban of the UOC, approved by the committee of the Rada for the second reading, on his Facebook page.

According to the "new" draft law, "the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is directly banned by law as an organization whose publicly declared goals include the destruction of Ukraine and the people living here."

Additionally, the draft law proposes restrictions for affiliated religious organizations with the ROC.

"This applies to all levels of the structure –  not only the UOC but also other organizations within the structure of the UOC. Ukrainian religious organizations, to avoid restrictions, must sever ties with the ROC. This can be done in many ways, and the law does not prohibit any of them," he wrote.

Moreover, the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) will be able to monitor the connections and contacts of confessions with the ROC, which, in turn, must become "transparent".

The draft law also defines what "the ideology of the Russian world" is. Sanctions may be imposed against religious organizations propagating it.

"A procedure for investigating the issue of signs of affiliation of Ukrainian religious organizations with the banned ROC is introduced. If these signs are established by the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, the religious organization must eliminate the identified ties. If the organization does not correct the violations after receiving the prescriptions, legal proceedings for the liquidation of the organization may be initiated," added the MP.

As reported by the UOJ, the Rada committee approved the draft law on the UOC for the second reading.

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