MP: Russian-affiliated confessions to be banned by end of winter

The draft law on banning religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Federation, which was submitted to the Parliament by the Cabinet of Ministers, will be passed quickly – it will be approved in the first reading at least by the end of winter. This was stated by an MP of the party "Servant of the People", a member of the VR Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence Fedir Venislavsky on the air of "Channel 5".

"This bill is a priority in terms of the national security of Ukraine, and the issues of ensuring state sovereignty and territorial integrity clearly prevail over possible negative assessments of the prohibition of activities of religious organizations centred in the Kremlin, so I predict that this law will be passed rather quickly," the MP said. “I think that by the end of winter, there is every chance to pass this bill at least in the first reading".

The MP noted that the time for introducing alternative bills, which is stipulated by the parliamentary regulations, may be shortened, and by the next parliamentary session there will be "a full picture regarding the main bill and the alternative ones".

According to Venislavsky, "international acts in the field of human rights, which ensure the freedom of belief and religion, allow restricting this right in the interests of, in particular, public order".

"I think that in the final version we will write the bill in such a way that if a religious organization does not give up its governance from the aggressor country, does not declare that there are no ties – canonical, organizational or legal – then it will be decided in each specific case," the parliamentarian said.

As reported, yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers registered in the Rada draft law No 8371 "On introducing amendments to some laws of Ukraine concerning the activity of religious organisations in Ukraine", which bans religious associations with governing centres in the aggressor country.