Parliament’s Humanitarian Committee endorses bill to ban Russia-affiliated religious organizations

Ukraine inches closer to barring religious organizations with the decision-making center located in Russia as the Verkhovna Rada’s Humanitarian and Information Policy Committee recommended that Parliament adopt the relevant legislation.

That’s according to Yevhenia Kravchuk, Deputy Committee Chair, who spoke in an exclusive comment to Ukrinform.

"The committee endorsed the adoption at second reading of the draft law on banning religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Federation," Kravchuk said.

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As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers in January 2023 tabled in the Verkhovna Rada draft law No. 8371 on the prohibition of Russia-affiliated religious organizations, which would imply the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate).

On October 19, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada passed the relevant bill at first reading.