Ukraine: Court rejects UOC's lawsuit against DESS

The Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal rejected the request of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for interim measures regarding the cessation of its activities. This was reported by Interfax-Ukraine. The Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal is currently reviewing a lawsuit filed by the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) against the Kyiv Metropolia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), seeking to terminate the religious organization.

On September 16, a representative of the UOC submitted a motion for interim measures to the court. This motion requested that the court prohibit the DESS from issuing orders to eliminate violations within religious organizations that are part of or affiliated with the Kyiv Metropolia, which is recognized as being linked to a foreign religious organization whose activities are banned in Ukraine. The representative argued that failing to secure the claim could result in the termination of 154 religious organizations associated with the UOC following orders from the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience to rectify violations related to religious organizations that have ties to a banned foreign religious entity.

After reviewing the motion on September 18, the court ruled to dismiss the request for interim measures. 

In August 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law titled “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Religious Organizations,” which prohibits the activities of any religious groups connected to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. On May 20, the DESS initiated an investigation into indications of affiliation between the UOC and the banned foreign religious organization. On July 9, the DESS announced it had identified signs of such affiliation between the UOC and the Russian Orthodox Church, whose activities are restricted in Ukraine. On July 17, the DESS issued an order for the UOC to correct legal violations concerning freedom of conscience and religious organizations by August 18 and approved a list of religious organizations affiliated with the UOC. In response, the UOC sent a letter to the DESS explaining its stance on the Church’s status and asserting that the order constituted interference in the Church's internal affairs and could not be fulfilled. On August 27, the DESS recognized the UOC as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church. In accordance with the law “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Religious Organizations,” the UOC will lose its right to utilize state and communal property after a 60-day period. On August 29, the DESS filed a lawsuit to terminate the UOC’s activities, as it is recognized as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church. The court is also being asked to transfer the UOC’s property, finances, and other assets (excluding religious items) to the state. The hearing for this case is scheduled for September 30.

In turn, the UOC is requesting the court to declare the DESS’s order, recognizing the Church as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, as unlawful and to revoke it. (Quelle: www.risu.ua, 23. September 2025)