Today at 16:06
In the occupied Crimea, Russia creates artificial obstacles to the activities of any religious community, if it does not belong to the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
This was stated by First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Japarova within the Forum of the International Alliance on Freedom of Religion, UA reports.
She stressed that Crimean Tatars have become the most persecuted religious community in occupied Crimea. More than 120 people are being held in jail on the basis of fabricated criminal cases.
“In the occupied territories of Ukraine, Russia restricts missionary activity under the pretext of combating so-called extremism. The Russian Federation is trying to stop all pro-Ukrainian organizations in the occupied Crimea. In particular, religious communities of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Crimean Tatar Muslims. Of the 49 religious communities that operated in Crimea in early 2014, only 5 are currently active” – Japarova said.
To remind, the United States is concerned about the statement by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, in which he called Crimea Russian.
