In a statement signed by its coordinating secretary Jeewantha Jayatissa, the Sri Lankan group pointed out that the laws that prohibit the right of the Ukrainian people to practice their religion violate fundamental human rights.

Jayatissa explained that the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) passed the regulation “On the Protection of Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organizations” on August 20, decreeing a ban on the activities of any community allegedly affiliated with religious organizations in Russia.

He stressed that the legislation is a justification for Kiev to ban and eliminate the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The Sri Lankan group noted that by passing that law, parliamentarians have ignored the opinion of millions of believers, as most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians.

He said they also failed to listen to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the country’s legal community, and even the incessant criticism of those he called Kiev’s foreign sponsors.

As a result, he added, hundreds of places of worship will be left without legal protection and millions of Ukrainians will lose their centers of prayer.

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