Moskalkova appealed to the UN Commissioner because of the situation in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
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Human Rights Ombudsman in Russia Tatiana Moskalkova appealed to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk because of what is happening in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. About this she reported in your Telegram channel.
On March 10, the leadership of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve ordered representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to leave the territory and buildings of the Lavra by the end of March due to the termination of the contract. The owner of the Lavra Alexander Rudnik referred to the conclusions of the interdepartmental working group and the letter of the Ministry of Culture, which believe that the monastery violated the conditions for the use of state property.
“Such a decision is an infringement of the rights of citizens to freedom of conscience and religion <...> I appeal to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights with a request, within the framework of my mandate, to contribute to the prevention of another lawless action by the Ukrainian authorities,” the Ombudsman said in a statement.
Moskalkova stressed that “freedom of religion or belief is one of the fundamental, fundamental rights of every person,” and recalled the 1981 UN declaration on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief.
On March 11, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ also appealed to the UN and OSCE Secretaries General António Guterres and Helga Maria Schmid regarding the eviction of representatives of the UOC from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. In particular, he sent an appeal to Pope Francis and other international and religious organizations.
The Patriarch urged to make efforts and prevent the closure of the monastery, which would lead to a violation of the rights of believers to freedom of religion guaranteed by the UN Charter, the Constitution of Ukraine, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, etc. He also spoke about the pressure exerted on representatives of the UOC due to ongoing searches by the special services of Ukraine.
“The pressure is also a months-long slanderous information campaign involving state media and TV channels, as well as radical politicians, religious and public figures, directed against the monastery, calling for its withdrawal from the use of the community and even forcible seizure,” he said.
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