Statement Schwabe: Protect Ukraine’s right of self-determination and human rights!

“Any negotiations about the future of Ukraine must involve Ukraine. The country’s right of self-determination must be the highest priority, not any deals about natural resources that could retroactively legitimise the human rights violations and atrocities committed by Russia.

”Russia continues to violate the human rights of the Ukrainian people every day, using systematic violence and terror. Russia is also explicitly targeting the right to freedom of religion or belief by threatening, abducting and torturing members of faith communities. Some 67 religious leaders have already been murdered, some of them while performing religious rites. 643 churches and holy sites have been damaged or destroyed in the course of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. And in territory occupied by Russia, religious communities that are not part of the Russian Orthodox Church have been dissolved or forcibly integrated.

“Misusing religion as a weapon of war, as Russia is doing as part of its nationalist ideology of the 'Russian World' (Russkiy Mir), is not a legitimate strategic instrument. That is why, in the negotiations about the future of Ukraine, it must not in any way be accepted. In Ukraine it is now a question of defending the right to self-determination, democracy and pluralism for which freedom of religion or belief serves as an essential measure. Once Russia’s war of aggression has ended, the separation of church and state which is enshrined in Ukraine’s constitution and the promotion of the traditionally strong pluralism of religious communities in the country will continue to be vital to safeguarding the freedom of religion or belief in Ukraine.”