Konotop mayor bans UOC "for the sake of society's consolidation"

Mayor of Konotop Artem Semenikhin. Photo: Ukrinform

In the Sumy region, the mayor of Konotop Artem Semenikhin published his own illegal order on Facebook, which prohibits the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the territory of the city. Semenihin accompanied this document with a remark that there is no difference between an enemy and his agent.

The city head refers to Article 42 of the Law "On Local Self-Government in Ukraine", the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law". Semenikhin prohibits the UOC with the aim of "consolidating Ukrainian society, preventing the split in the Konotop community on religious grounds, anti-Ukrainian activities, speculation on the beliefs of residents, taking into account open pro-Russian propaganda in the temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is subordinate to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow".

As the UOJ reported, the head of DESS Viktor Elensky previously stated that local city councils do not have the authority to prohibit the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the regions, this is not legal.

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