Ukraine's Parliament adopted law potentially banning Moscow-linked church

The Ukrainian parliament on Aug. 20 passed a bill banning activities of religious organizations connected to Russia, The Kyiv Independent reports. The legislation, supported by 265 lawmakers in its second and final reading, could effectively prohibit the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). The UOC-MP's clergy has been suspected of links and sympathies to Russia throughout the full-scale war. It is not to be confused with the autocephalous (autonomous) Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Many clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate have been accused of collaborating with Russia and justifying Russian aggression, including bishops and other high-ranking members. The law enters into force 30 days after its publication, but UOC-MP communities will have nine months to fully break ties with the Russian church, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak explained. Twenty-nine lawmakers voted against the bill, including 17 from the Platform for Life and Peace, a successor to the dissolved pro-Russian parliamentary group – the Opposition Platform — For Life. Four lawmakers of the governing Servant of the People party also voted against the bill, while three others abstained. The bill was initially registered in the parliament in January 2023, shortly after extensive searches by security authorities uncovered Russian propaganda, Russian passports, and xenophobic literature at the church's premises. The parliament supported the bill in the first reading in October 2023. The legislative process was surrounded by controversies. Last month, several opposition lawmakers blocked the parliament's rostrum after the governing party did not bring the issue to the floor.