Religious discrimination in Ukraine
Lvov, 1st September 2011
Members of the Ukrainian Parliament
Dear Members of Parliament,
we would like to ask You to deal with an urgent issue at the Parliament session on Tuesday 6th September 2011, namely with religious discrimination now already associated with deportation and dissolution.
As from 10th September 2011, Ukraine is introducing liberalization of the visa regime between Ukraine and the EU. The State Committee of Ukraine on Matters of Nationalities and Religions has been illegally blocking the registration of a religious minority – Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC) for two years. From this it follows:
a) 23 contemplative sisters from the monastery of St. Elijah the Prophet find themselves outside the law, they will not obtain documentation for a long-stay visa and will have to leave Ukraine. They do not have monastery in the EU. Religious discrimination de facto passes into their dissolution.
b) Immediately after 10th September 2011, the Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate has to leave Ukraine for the same reason, otherwise he will find himself outside the law and, as a result of religious discrimination, will be deported. Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr Y. Bohutskyi, must be removed from office and justly punished for crimes of religious discrimination.
Apart from this religious discrimination against the Patriarch, the UGCC leadership initiated a show trial taking place on 20th July 2011, which culminated in the Court of Appeal of the Lvov Region on 18th August 2011 with a judicial crime of Judge V. Mykhalyuk. On 25th August 2011, the Patriarch appealed to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Minister of justice, Mr O. Lavrynovych, must be removed from his position for a judicial crime against the Patriarch.
Unless the culprits are punished, the problem of religious discrimination will turn into an international scandal and will be addressed at the international level.
Specifically, we ask You:
1) to cease religious discrimination against the Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC);
2) to ensure the granting of a long-stay visa to Patriarch Elijah by 11th September 2011;
3) to ensure the granting of long-stay visas to 23 religious sisters.
We would like to warn Members of Parliament once more against legalization of the juvenile justice system under the title of “Strategy of juvenile criminal justice in Ukraine”. It is the cruellest crime against children and parents.
With gratitude to all MPs in advance,
+ Markian, OSBMr
Secretary of the Bishops’ Synod of the UOGCC
Cc to:
– U.S. Congress
– European Parliament
