On 9 October 2018 the Chief Consultant of the Department of International Connections of the Mission Valeria Pakhomova took part in the presentation of study on violation of the rights of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and its parishioners in the TOT of Ukraine in Crimea “Religious occupation: Persecution of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate in Crimea”.

The participants of the event were Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea Kliment, advocates, scientists, representatives of civil-society associations and the press. The participants noted that the occupation of Crimea and the aggressor’s actions had breached the freedom of belief in the territory of the peninsula. Crimean Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate was especially targeted.

Bishop’s Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate in the first days made a statement, condemning the actions of the occupier. Moreover, Crimean Eparchy could not be re-licensed in accordance of the requirements of the Russian occupying authorities and remained outside the law. Due to seizure of the church premises and the Russian legislation to be extended to the territory of the peninsula, in a year after the occupation 38 of 46 patriarchy communities in Crimea ceased to exist.

The event included the presentation of the exclusive documents on the situation of the Orthodox belief in Crimea. The mechanisms and instruments of oppression, done by the occupier against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate were illustrated and the assessment of the RF activity was made in accordance with the International Rules in the area of freedom of conscious. Despite it, in Crimea, the occupying authorities are compelled to accept the statutory documents of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate in the “courts” and punitive bodies even without the need for translation of them.