A press conference addressing the protection of sacred sites and the rights of believers in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will take place in the Serbian capital, Belgrade. The event is organized by the Press Center of the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and is scheduled for Thursday, September 21.

"We urge international institutions not to turn a blind eye to inhumane religious persecution and to put an end to it. We call on the mass media and media representatives to pay due attention to this acute issue of mass religious persecution and help stop it," emphasize the organizers of the conference.

The discussion aims to address topics such as the escalating persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Ukraine and the outcomes of Serbian intellectual appeals in support of the UOC.

The Serbian intellectuals' appeal in support of the UOC was published three months ago. The document highlights severe violations of fundamental human rights in Ukraine, particularly the right to freedom of religion. According to the authors of the appeal, the treatment of the clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church can be described as nothing less than state terrorism.

The appeal was signed by 109 Serbian intellectuals, including filmmaker Emir Kusturica, artist Ivana Zhigon, cultural expert Vladimir Kolaric, writer Vesna Kapor, author of books on Patriarch Pavle, Jovan Janic, composer Svetislav Bozic, five academicians, and 49 university professors. In early August, the appeal was submitted to the Embassy of Ukraine in Serbia, the UN Office, the European Union Representation, and the OSCE Mission.