Amsterdam & Partners LLP Writes Open Letter to United Nations Security Council Highlighting Violations of Religious Freedom in Ukraine

The following press release was distributed to media today.

LONDON, MAY 22, 2024 – Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer acting on behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), has today issued an open letter to the current President of the United Nations Security Council, His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique.

The 18-page letter, which details numerous instances of unlawful attacks on religious freedoms, illegal detentions of priests, and violations of human rights committed by the Ukrainian government, asks President Nyusi to immediately table the issue of the attack on the UOC on the UNSC agenda as soon as possible in light of pending of pending legislation to pass an outright ban of the entire church.

“The honorable delegation from Mozambique has itself already spoken bravely against the suppression of religious freedom in Ukraine during two previous Security Council meetings,” Amsterdam writes in the letter, referring to Security Council transcripts from January 17th and November 17th of 2023.

“Our goal and the purpose of a Security Council discussion of this issue would be to ensure that the independent Ukraine that emerges from the current conflict remains committed to the most basic principles of international human rights law,” Amsterdam writes. “I am confident that you will find powerful confirmation of Ukraine’s systematic, on-going, and egregious violations of the freedom of religion and hope that a Security Council discussion would give the government of Ukraine the chance to reverse course before irreparable harm is done both to the freedom of religion and to Ukraine’s stature in the international community. The attention of the United Nations is needed urgently, not only to protect the UOC, but to defend freedom of religion in Ukraine and around the world.”

A full copy of the letter can be downloaded from savetheuoc.com and robertamsterdam.com.

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is an international law firm with offices in Washington DC and London.

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Open Letter to the UNSC on Behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by Robert Amsterdam on Scribd