On 15 September, a panel of judges of the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal ruled to terminate the activities of the religious organisation “Religious Orthodox Community of the ‘Kazan’ Icon of the Mother of God, a parish of the Horlivka Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church” from the urban-type settlement of Yarova, Lyman City Council, Donetsk Region.
LB.ua learned this from its own sources.
The court’s decision is based on materials from the Security Service of Ukraine and the Donetsk Regional State Administration, which confirm the involvement of the head of the religious organisation in collaborationist activities.
This concerns the community’s rector, Archpriest Mykola Zirka. Previously, the Industrial District Court of Dnipro found him guilty of collaborationist activities and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property. In 2023, he was exchanged as a prisoner of war.
Under the law, the conviction of an authorised representative of a religious organisation for a crime against the foundations of Ukraine’s national security is grounds for terminating the activities of such an organisation through the courts.
Why This Matters
This decision is important for the practical application of legislation on religious organisations linked to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). It shows how the mechanism provided for by law can be applied to a specific religious community if the relevant grounds for its termination are established in court.
Previously, one of the criticisms of this mechanism concerned the need to prove a specific link between an individual religious community and the ROC and the existence of the legally prescribed grounds for terminating its activities.