The UN stands for people around the world to be able to freely practice their religion. This was stated at a briefing by the representative of the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric, answering the question about the position of the Secretary General of the World Organization Antonio Guterres regarding the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Ukraine.
"We believe that people around the world should have the right to freely practice their religion," he said.
Dujarric did not answer the question whether Guterres had discussed this topic with representatives of Kiev. "I cannot add anything to this," the representative of the UN Secretary General said.
On Wednesday, a meeting of the UN Security Council initiated by Russia on the situation around the UOC was held.
In recent years, the Ukrainian authorities have been actively pursuing a course to oust the UOC, including encouraging the transfer of its religious communities to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU), created in 2018 from two schismatic religious structures. In Ukraine, the task has been set to completely ban the activities of the canonical UOC, the corresponding bill has been prepared by the government on behalf of the President of the country, Vladimir Zelensky, and submitted to parliament.
Accusations of treason are being made against the clergy of the UOC, sanctions are being imposed, and 13 hierarchs are deprived of Ukrainian citizenship. Local authorities deprive the UOC of the right to lease land for temples. As lawyer Nikita Chekman, acting in the interests of the UOC, reported on June 9, more than 100 communities of the canonical church were illegally transferred to the jurisdiction of the PCU. The authorities have broken the lease agreement with the UOC of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and require the monks to leave the monastery.