Inspections of UOC-MP religious communities may begin in five months – expert

Victor Yelenskyi, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (SEFC), shared this information in a comment to Ukrinform.

“The law (‘On Protecting the Constitutional Order in the Activities of Religious Organizations,’ effective since September 2024) allowed for nine months to implement its provisions. Regulatory acts are ready and will be issued as Cabinet of Ministers resolutions. Only then will the SEFC have the authority to appeal to the courts,” he explained.

For an inspection of a specific religious community to commence, a public or other organization must approach the SEFC and substantiate its suspicions. Afterward, the SEFC conducts an investigation, and if connections to the banned Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) are proven, an official directive is issued.

“The law clearly defines what constitutes a connection with a banned religious organization, i.e., the ROC. There are seven criteria, and the community’s situation is compared against them,” Yelenskyi explained.

If any criteria confirm affiliation, SEFC issues a directive within 30 days, providing the community an opportunity to rectify the situation (such as severing ties with the ROC). If the directive is ignored, legal proceedings may lead to the suspension of the community’s activities.

Yelenskyi cited a positive example involving the Old Believer Church in Bukovyna, historically and culturally tied to Moscow.

“Their leader in Moscow, Metropolitan Korniliy, unequivocally supported Russian aggression against Ukraine. The church severed ties with him and even renamed itself to the Old Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The law has no claims against them,” Yelenskyi said.

Court proceedings may take considerable time. However, Yelenskyi expressed hope that public scrutiny will deter judges from abusing mechanisms such as recusals or medical leaves, common tactics to delay cases.

“This happens often. While anything is possible, the law includes safeguards to prevent such abuses,” he assured.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed a law banning religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church in August 2024. The decision was supported by 265 MPs. The law prohibits religious organizations in Ukraine from having their administrative centers in the Russian Federation.

The law came into effect on September 23, 2024. Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk stated during a TV marathon that religious organizations would have nine months after the commission’s decision to sever ties with Russia.