Zelensky signs bill banning activities of Russian Orthodox Church into law

MOSCOW. Aug 26 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has signed into law a bill banning the activities of religious organizations affiliated with Russia.

This follows from the card of the bill published on the parliament's website on Saturday, Ukrainian media reported.

The Ukrainian law protecting of the constitutional order in the area of religious organizations' activities took effect on Saturday, August 24, the Verkhovna Rada said on social media.

"Today, the Golos of Ukraine newspaper, the official print publication of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, published the Ukrainian law protecting the constitutional order in the area of activities of religious organizations," the statement said.

The law is aimed at banning the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church and religious organizations affiliated with it in Ukraine, prohibiting the propaganda of the Russian world ideology, in particular, forbidding the use of religious organizations to promote this ideology.

The law takes effect 30 days after its publication, except for two provisions: the day after its publication, the government begins drafting bylaws, and nine months later, a clause in the bill comes into force that enables the State Service for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience to file a lawsuit with the court to terminate the activities of a religious organization if the service has established its affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Moscow viewed the Ukrainian law as a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms, in particular, the freedom of conscience and religion. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia condemned the law, noting that it was an attack on canonical Orthodoxy.