Rights concerns Raised by UOC Faithful in Khmelnytsky Diocese
The Department of Information and Education of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reported that believers and clergy in the Khmelnytsky diocese of western Ukraine told representatives of the UN Monitoring Mission that their rights were violated by the country’s authorities. The church’s website conveys this account and emphasizes the distress voiced by those affected.
According to the report, on May 2 and 3, 2023, local clergy and laity from the Khmelnytsky diocese personally faced crimes that included physical violence and threats during the seizure of churches within the same diocese. The UN Human Rights Watch Mission in Ukraine is cited as the source in the church statement, underscoring the seriousness of the incidents described by participants on the ground.
In addition to the reported acts of violence, it was noted that priests and congregants informed mission staff about more than 30 individual violations observed or experienced during that period. While the details of each case were not fully disclosed in the transcription, the accumulation of reported incidents is presented as a pattern that drew the mission’s attention and prompted formal inquiries and documentation.
Separately, Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed), who previously held the position of Governor-General of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, has initiated a legal action challenging the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decisions that imposed personal sanctions on him. The case highlights tensions surrounding sanctions policy and the legal avenues available to church leaders who feel affected by presidential measures. The filing illustrates how ecclesiastical figures engage with national governance structures when sanctions intersect with religious leadership and public duties. [Attribution: UN Monitoring Mission report and church communications; the legal matter referenced through public statements and court filings.]