November 21, 2023 - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has reached out to the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience regarding the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), as reported by Voice of America.

This commission is an independent U.S. government agency responsible for examining potential violations of religious freedom abroad and providing policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress.

The USCIRF informed Voice of America that they had met with Ambassador Oksana Markarova, who "firmly advocated for Ukraine's ability to defend its national security, considering Russia's unwarranted war and influence campaign in Ukraine."

"In the end, the Ukrainian government is obligated to ensure that the law is not directed at law-abiding citizens because of their religious beliefs or affiliation (specific denomination), or in any way obstructs people from peacefully practicing their religion with others," stated USCIRF.

In response to USCIRF's letter, the State Service for Ethnopolitics assured that Bill No. 8371 allegedly "does not aim to restrict freedom of conscience but aims to prevent the indoctrination of the population of Ukraine through a religious center that is part of the military-political complex of a state trying to destroy Ukraine."

In October, the Ukrainian Parliament approved in the first reading Bill No. 8371, which proposes the prohibition of the canonical Orthodox Church. The UOC's Legal Department stated that the bill, passed in the Rada, does not comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Constitution of Ukraine as it violates the freedom of religion.

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