Next week, the Verkhovna Rada will begin its plenary week with a ban on the UOC-MP. This was reported by MP, co-chair of the European Solidarity faction Iryna Gerashchenko, Komersant ukrainskyi
reports
Bill 8371, which has repeatedly caused controversy among MPs, has finally received support. According to Gerashchenko, the leaders of the parliamentary groups agreed to pass the bill.
“The next plenary week will start with a draft law banning the Moscow branch of the Russian Orthodox Church in cassocks. This agreement was reached by the leaders of parliamentary groups. European Solidarity insisted on this and we thank all our colleagues who support it,” she said.
As reported, on 23 July, MPs blocked the rostrum in the Verkhovna Rada , demanding consideration of a bill to completely ban the UOC-MP in Ukraine. Parliamentary sessions scheduled for next week were cancelled.
The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Consciencecalls on the Verkhovna Rada to eliminate legislative spam and other nonsense in the draft law banning the activities of religious organisations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine before the second reading.
Banning the UOC-MP
on 19 October 2023, the Verkhovna Rada supported a bill to ban the UOC-MP in the first reading. At that time, 267 MPs voted in favour. The bill in question is draft law No. 8371 on the ban on religious organisations associated with Russia.
It provides for the impossibility of religious organisations operating in Ukraine that are managed from the aggressor country. The amendments give the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience additional powers:
- ensuring the implementation of the state policy on religions and the church by conducting religious studies expertise of the activities of religious organisations to identify subordination in canonical and organisational matters with the centres of influence of a religious organisation (association) whose governing centre (management) is located outside Ukraine in a state that carries out armed aggression against Ukraine
- issuing orders to eliminate violations identified as a result of a religious expertise within one month from the date of issuance of such an order
- filing a claim with the court to terminate the activities of a religious organisation in case of its failure to comply with the orders to eliminate violations identified as a result of religious expertise.