Sites covering the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church blocked in Ukraine

Kiev, April 8, 2024

Photo: spzh.media     

A number of major sites covering the activities and the plight of the persecuted canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including an official UOC resource, have been blocked in Ukraine.

The blocked sites include the UOC’s Information-Education Department (news.church.ua), the Union of Orthodox Journalists (spzh.media), Orthodox Life (pravlife.org), and Raskolam.net. This was reported by both the Union of Orthodox Journalists and Raskolam.net.

Internet service providers block the sites with the message:

PAGE BLOCKED! According to the order of the National Commission for State Regulation in the Field of Communications and Informatization and/or the decision of the NSDC, the web resource is blocked.

Photo: spzh.media     

The editorial board of Raskolam.net responded:

1. “We are convinced that this order of the National Commission, which carries out state regulation in the field of communications and informatization, is a violation of the rights of Ukrainian citizens in the matter of restricting their access to information;

2. Blocking of Raskolam.net and other Ukrainian Church Internet media is a direct restriction of freedom of speech and pressure on the work of independent media, which is directly prohibited by the norms of Ukrainian and international legislation;

3. We consider the restriction of the work of Raskolam.net and other Ukrainian Church Internet media to be politically motivated, because these media systematized and informed the public about the violation of the rights to freedom of conscience and religion of clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Unfortunately, in modern Ukraine, persecution of believers for their beliefs has become part of state policy, which is clearly not facilitated by objective reporting on the facts of such violations;

4. We call on human rights organizations around the world to pay attention to the blatant violations of the basic rights of Ukrainian citizens to freedom of conscience, access to information and freedom of speech enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution.”

Last month, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) raided the homes and offices and arrested several members of the Union of Orthodox Journalists, who now face life in prison for a number of charges related to their reporting on the persecution of the UOC.

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