VR Committee supports bill № 4511 despite observations of Expert Office

The Committee on Culture and Spirituality recommended that the Verkhovna Rada adopt in first reading bill № 4511 "On special status of religious organizations, whose senior centers are located in the state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada as an aggressor state", despite the observations of the Expert Office of the Parliament, reports the Institute for Religious Freedom.

Despite the shortcomings of the project, voiced by the members of the Committee during the discussion, the VR Committee on Culture and Spirituality supported bill № 4511. Some emphasized that the ill-timed initiative may cause international resonance and give reason for the information war against Ukraine.

The Central Scientific-Expert Office of the Verkhovna Rada criticized bill № 4511 and called on MPs to reject it for the following reasons:

1. The provisions of the bill to grant "special status" by the state for some religious organizations, unlike the others, as well as the conclusion with them of special agreements can be regarded as state interference in the activities of the church, violates the principle of equality of all confessions and is evidence of discrimination.

2. The criminal legislation already provides for liability for the infringement of the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, so it is not clear what is the need to conclude an agreement, containing the above-mentioned obligations.

3. Absolutely unrealistic are proposed three-month time-frames for submission by such religious organizations of the necessary documents for the conclusion of an agreement, as in case such a provision is introduced, 12,5 thousand religious organizations will not be able to meet these requirements in time because of inability of the Ministry of Culture to handle such amount of documentation.

4. The bill does not report the range of issues that need to be clarified as a result of peer review in the registration / re-registration of religious organizations, and who is qualified as "independent experts."

5. Requirements for agreement with the Ministry of Culture of all appointments of the central and regional leadership of religious organizations violate the constitutional principle of non-interference and isolation of the state from the church, and also violate the right to freedom of personal philosophy and religion, embodied in Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine.

6. Law of Ukraine "On freedom of conscience and religious organizations" (h. 4 Article 24) already provides for the obligation to harmonize religious activities of foreigners for all religious organizations in Ukraine, at whose invitation such religious figures arrive.

7. It is unclear from the draft what the authors mean by "systematic violation of law" and how it should be established "the fact of cooperation with representatives of the militant-terrorist groups" as the reason for the termination of activities of religious organizations with a special status.

Earlier it was reported that on 5 October, the Committee on Culture and Spirituality of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported bill №4511 "On special status of religious organizations, whose senior centers are located in the state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada as an aggressor state".