02 December 2022, Friday, 14:20 209

Zelenskyy Implements NSDC Decision To Ban UOC MP In Ukraine

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy implemented the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to ban religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in Russia from operating in Ukraine. This is stated in decree 820 of December 1, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

In particular, the Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to submit a bill to the Verkhovna Rada for consideration within a two-month period on the impossibility of activities in Ukraine of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in Russia.

The State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience has been instructed to ensure, within a two-month period, a theological examination of the Charter on the Administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for the existence of a church-canonical connection with the Moscow Patriarchate, and if necessary, to take measures provided for by law.

The Cabinet of Ministers must also ensure, within a two-month period, a check of the existence of legal grounds and compliance with the conditions of use by religious organizations of the property located on the territory of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), together with the National Police and other state bodies, whose competence includes issues in the field of ensuring national security, is tasked with intensifying measures to detect and counter the subversive activities of Russian special services in the religious environment of Ukraine.

At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers is tasked to raise the status of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, in particular, to urgently resolve the issue of assigning this State Service to the central bodies of executive power, whose activities are directed and coordinated directly by the government. Currently, the work of this body is coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers through the Minister of Culture.

The Government is also tasked with resolving the issue of functional subordination to the State Service for Ethnopolitics of structural divisions of local state administrations, whose powers include the implementation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion, and the activities of religious organizations.

In addition, with this decree, Zelenskyy introduced the decision of the NSDC on the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) to certain individuals, but at the moment there is no corresponding appendix to the decree on the website of the Office of the President.

In his traditional evening video address, Zelenskyy, commenting on this decision of the NSDC, noted that it guarantees Ukraine's spiritual independence.

"With these and other decisions, we guarantee Ukraine's spiritual independence. I want to emphasize: in 1991, our state embarked on a legal and democratic path. We will continue on this path. Only legal steps. Balanced decisions. And national interests," he said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on November 22, the SSU conducted counter-intelligence (security) measures on the territory of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv as part of the work to counter the subversive activities of the Russian special services in Ukraine.

On December 1, SSU employees served suspicion to the organizers of the worship, during which "Russian world" was praised in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

The SSU found more than UAH 2 million and more than USD 100,000 in cash, and also found suspicious Russian citizens during searches of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and other churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

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