Human rights defender: Govt wages religious war while Putin tearing Ukraine

Human rights defender Mykhailo Chaplyha. Photo: antikor.com.ua

Ukrainian human rights defender Mykhailo Chaplyha wrote on his Telegram channel that the authorities started a religious war by initiating a ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is "tearing Ukraine apart".

Chaplyha urged the Ukrainian authorities not to ban the UOC, as this, according to him, is a terrible mistake.

In addition, the human rights activist noted that if a religion can be banned for the crimes of its representatives, it means that the authorities and entire nationalities can be banned, as there are many criminals there too.

"There is no spiritual or legal connection (between – Ed.) the UOC and the ROC. The Bureau of Linguistic Expertise will draw whatever you want, but how will you look God in the eye? <...> There is no "MP" and there never was. It is a journalistic propaganda cliché. By our Lord, please, do not do this," he wrote.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada collected the required number of signatures for the UOC ban.

Earlier, Oleksiy Arestovych said that the USA considered the Ukrainian authorities' attacks on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church unacceptable.

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