Letter to the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine
Lvov, 1st September 2011
Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine
Head of Delegation
Jos? Manuel Pinto Teixeira
Dear Mr Teixeira,
we turn to You in the matter of violations of human rights in the field of discrimination of a religious minority. Specifically, the enquiry here is discrimination of the Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC). Monitoring over the Ukraine concerning observance of human rights is delegated to Mrs Reps and Mrs Wolwend. Their duty is to solve a specific problem which threatens to develop into an international scandal. The main culprits in the religious discrimination against the UOGCC are Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr Y.Bohutskyi, and Minister of Justice, Mr O. Lavrynovych. The new law on the liberalization of visa regime connected with the promotion of antidiscrimination laws does not bring liberalization but has an opposite effect. EU citizens in Ukraine, 23 religious sisters, are not only in danger of discrimination but also of deportation and, de facto, liquidation. Some of them have been in Ukraine for 17 years. The root of the problem is that there has been unlawfully refused registration of the Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC) for two years. As a consequence of this religious discrimination, the Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate and 23 religious sisters now cannot be granted long-term visas.
Furthermore, we remind of a judicial crime which was committed against the Patriarch on 18th August 2011 by the Court of Appeal of Lvov region. The Patriarch was forced to appeal to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on 25th August 2011. What takes place here is a harsh religious discrimination. That was why we asked the members of the Ukrainian Parliament to see to the removal from office of the Minister of Justice O. Lavrynovych and also of the Deputy Minister of Culture Y.Bohutskyi. Both senior government officials abuse their authority and commit crime of religious discrimination against the UOGCC, Patriarch, religious sisters and believers of the UOGCC. Both of them must be justly punished.
Through Your mediation we would like to ask Mrs Reps to intervene immediately in this situation and thus cease religious discrimination.
At the same time we turn to You asking You to intervene with the Ministry of Culture so that at least a minimal step to remedy is made. This step should be a granting of long-term visas to 23 religious sisters and Patriarch Elijah. If necessary, we will send You the names of and personal information about the concerned.
Please, see to immediate cessation of religious discrimination and granting of long-term visas at the Ministry of Culture in the shortest term possible after 10th September 2011.
Thank You in advance for a positive settlement of this matter
+ Markian OSBMr
Secretary of the UOGCC Bishops’ Synod
We bring Your attention to the repeated discrimination (see 3 attached DVDs in Ukrainian) against the monastery of the contemplative sisters of the UOGCC as well as against the sisters themselves:
1) 31st July 2009 – violent kidnapping of a postulant by the chief of Lvov Regional State Administration’s Department on Matters of Nationalities and Religions, Mr Kurash.
2) 12th-14th November 2010 – incitement of religious hatred against defenceless sisters who wanted to take part in a religious ceremony announced in advance. An employee of the State Committee of Ukraine on Matters of Nationalities and Religions Mr Kulchytskyi from Ternopol was present at their lynching and is fully responsible for the hateful action against the contemplative sisters.
3) 19th July 2011 in Lvov – desecration of a religious symbol on our private chapel and threats against our faithful. An illegal and unsubstantiated arrest of Patriarch Elias and subsequent show trial took place.
Cc:
– Presidents of the EU member states
– MEPs
– Deputy Minister of Culture Mr Y. Bohutskyi
– Minister of Justice Mr O. Lavrynovych
– Russian Duma
