The UN accused Ukraine of violating its constitution

Ukraine has not demonstrated the legality of its actions in banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

This information reported according to a report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The report states that Ukraine is violating its international obligations and its own constitution during mobilization efforts. It highlights that Ukraine has failed to demonstrate the necessity and proportionality of measures aimed at dissolving religious organizations, including the UOC.

The document emphasizes that dissolving a religious organization constitutes a severe restriction, impacting individuals’ ability to practice their religion or beliefs in a community and threatening the community’s overall viability. Such actions require substantial justification.

“Ukraine has not demonstrated the necessity and proportionality of this measure, for instance, why less restrictive measures targeting specific individuals responsible for offenses would not suffice,” the report notes, as quoted by the media.

Additionally, the document mentions that the OHCHR continues to monitor Kyiv’s response to incidents that occurred on October 17, 2024, in an Orthodox cathedral in Cherkasy.

On the night of October 17, unidentified masked individuals seized the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the canonical UOC, looting church property. One of the vandals opened fire on parishioners, while another used pepper spray.