orthodoxrights.org

June 28, 2016. To the solemn session on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the Constitution of Ukraine, there were invited primates of all denominations, except for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which appears as a violation of the citizens’ equality on grounds of religious affiliation, as reports UOJ.

Reportedly, this session was attended by the country’s political actors, representatives of civil organizations, including primates of all denominations and religious associations of Ukraine, except for the most numerous Orthodox denomination in Ukraine – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“This time no invitation was sent to the Kiev Metropolitan’s Office to participate in festivities on the occasion of the Constitution Day. Therefore, the administration of the supreme legislative body of Ukraine gravely violated fundamental constitutional norms on the 20th anniversary of the Fundamental Law of Ukraine, thus emphasizing the fact that not all citizens on our state enjoy equal rights, based on their religious beliefs”, underlines the publication.

“What such a selective approach of the organizers is reasoned by remains vague. The Verkhovna Rada administration is expected to justify their action which is a telling example of discrimination of the state against the biggest denomination in the country. For the UOC united millions of Ukrainian citizens who took part at the time in electing the Parliament in its current composition”, declares the Awareness-Raising Division.

It will be reminded, the Verkhovna Rada has registered draft law №4511 that, according to political expert Mikhail Pogrebinskiy, “means war against the most influential Ukrainian denomination – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church” and absolutely contradicts the Constitution and laws of Ukraine.