Source: European Parliament
The Constitution of Ukraine, as well as related legislation, provides for the right to freedom of religion and belief, as stipulated in the European Convention on Human Rights[1] and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union[2].
The Commission has taken note of Ukrainian Parliament’s adoption on 20 August 2024 of the law of Ukraine ‘On the protection of the constitutional order in the field of activities of religious organisations’, which prohibits the activities of religious organisations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, on the grounds of national security and prevention of foreign interference from Russia.
The right to freedom of religion and belief is an integral part of the fundamental rights chapter in Ukraine’s accession process. In the Enlargement report issued on 30 October 2024[3], the Commission assessed that in general Ukrainian authorities protect this freedom, and that incidents of hate speech and intimidation based on religion are rare. No infringements of religious rights were reported in government-controlled territories of Ukraine.
The Commission will continue closely monitoring the application of the right to freedom of religion and belief in Ukraine and report on this as appropriate.