DESS wants to revise Bill 8371 to prevent it from becoming a laughingstock

Viktor Yelensky, Head of DESS. Source: korrespondent.net

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) announced that bill 8371, which the Rada passed in the first reading, has been supplemented with a number of "legislative spam and outright nonsense" for the second reading. The statement, published on the DESS website, said that the law now contains many amendments aimed at "completely destroying the essence of the bill, making it impossible to implement, and ultimately discrediting Ukraine on the international stage."

DESS officials lament that they were unable to remove blatant anachronisms and absurdities from the bill by the second reading and fear that because of this, document 8371 may become a laughingstock.

"For example, the bill still contains a provision that those who want to establish connections with a banned religious organization, namely the Russian Church, must obtain special permission from DESS. It is hard to imagine what situation this provision regulates, who in their right mind would establish connections with an organization that has become an extension of the criminal regime of the Russian Federation. Who, how, and why would give such permission?" DESS criticizes the legislative initiative and calls for the revision of law 8371.

Additionally, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience denies that this legislative initiative is aimed at destroying the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

"First of all, DESS is convinced that the law should make it impossible for religious organizations associated with any center in an aggressor country, not just the Russian Church, to operate in Ukraine. This is a completely logical remark, which for some completely unclear reasons is still being ignored," the DESS statement said.

As the UOJ reported, at the conciliation council of the Parliament, there were not enough votes to bring bill 8371, which effectively bans the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to a vote today.

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