The persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church was compared to war crimes by participants of an international conference in Germany, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes with reference to the telegram channel of the Union of Orthodox Journalists (SPJ). The International Forum is held on Monday, November 25th. It was organized by the Walberberger Institute, timed to coincide with the Catholic Day of Repentance and Prayer.

Professor Manfred Spieker from Germany called the actions of the Kiev regime unacceptable. The Union of Orthodox Journalists of Ukraine said that, in his opinion, pressure on Orthodox believers cannot be justified by any political motives.

Manfred Spieker worked for more than twelve years as an adviser to the pope in the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, he has no doubt that such decisions need to be evaluated from the point of view of law, as well as war crimes. Religious freedom has a high priority and should not be limited, he stressed.

The expert's speech caused applause in the hall.

The law banning the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) came into force in Ukraine on September 23. Earlier, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov called it an attack on Christianity and religious freedom. By banning the UOC, Kiev is attacking the Orthodox Church as a whole and all Christianity, he is sure.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church called this ban a political declaration aimed at destroying the majority religious community.

The Kiev regime will not be able to destroy canonical Orthodoxy, the Russian Foreign Ministry is confident. The official representative of the department, Maria Zakharova, recalled that the majority of the country's residents are parishioners of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). She once again called on the international community to speak out against the war of the Ukrainian authorities with faith and the church.