Yelensky assures that Ukraine is a model of freedom of religion
The DESS head said that religious freedom has been “put into practice” in Ukraine.
Viktor Yelensky, head of the State Ethnopolitics Service, stated at a conference on the occasion of World Religion Day that Ukraine is an example of religious freedom, as reported on the DESS website.
He claimed that on the occupied territories, Ukrainian believers suffer from persecution. But in the Ukrainian-controlled lands, according to him, the situation is allegedly quite different.
"Today, religious freedom in Ukraine is not just a slogan; it is put into practice and is an unprecedented example of cooperation among various religious organizations in the modern world," said the official.
He complained that in Brussels, ROC representatives spoke about religious persecutions in Ukraine and criticized bill No 8371 on banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
In response, the head of DESS clarified that "this law is not discriminatory; it does not prohibit religion but is aimed at protecting against the influence of the administrative centre of the religious organisation of the aggressor state."
According to him, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church must sever its administrative ties with Moscow; otherwise, "state authorities will seek through the court the cessation of its existence".
As reported, the SBI opened a criminal case against the leadership of the State Ethnopolitics Service.
