Human rights activists stated that out of 44 criminal cases against the clergy of the UOC, which they monitor, in 26 cases there is concern about the fairness of the proceedings.

At a meeting of the UN Security Council on November 17, 2023, dedicated to freedom of religion in Ukraine, Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Ilse Brands Kehris noted the increase in violence against believers. The Kehris report is published on the UN website.

She noted that since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the number of conflicts on the part of the OCU against the UOC has sharply increased.

"Unfortunately, the reaction of the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in these cases was inadequate, they were unable to sufficiently investigate the incidents and take measures to protect members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," Kekhris stressed.

She also mentioned the investigations against 68 clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. According to Kehris, OHCHR monitors 44 such cases. And of these 44, "in at least 26 cases involving clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, OHCHR has identified concerns about the fairness of criminal proceedings."

According to Kehris, since February 2022, OHCHR has recorded 10 cases of physical violence and six cases of threats of violence as a result of disputes between parishioners of different Orthodox communities. The reaction of the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in these cases did not allow to investigate the incidents sufficiently and take measures to protect members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kekhris added.

She also touched upon the problem of the draft law 8371 adopted by the Rada on the prohibition of the UOC. She called on the Ukrainian authorities to revise the text and "determine the specific legitimate purpose of the proposed restrictions."

Based on the materials of the Union of Orthodox Journalists