The following opinion editorial was published by Robert Amsterdam, lawyer for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Since 2014 power in Ukraine has shifted to the right, in fact the full-scale war has accelerated a narrative of religious and language cleansing. With the destruction of Russian language rights which occurred in 2017, and the deification of the … Read more
The following is the English translation of sermon delivered by Metropolitan Arseniy of the Svyatogorsk Lavra on September 25, 2023, in which he comments on the harassment of his parishioners by the Ukrainian security services on September 23, which was the eve of a holiday celebrating the Cathedral of Svyatogorsk Saints and the 15th anniversary … Read more
On 24 April 2024, the Department for External Church Relations received a “Statement in support of Fr. Mykolai Danylevych on his criminal persecution” from Emeritus Professor Dr Thomas Bremer and Professor Dr Regina Elsner (Germany). Below is the text of the Statement. Statement in support of Fr. Mykolai Danylevych on his criminal persecution On April … Read more
“Reckless and irresponsible” spending on Washington lobbyists is an insult to all Ukrainians, especially those fighting on the frontlines, says Amsterdam WASHINGTON DC, April 16, 2024 – Robert Amsterdam, an international lawyer representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has denounced the timing of the Ukrainian government’s decision to spend $3.5 million on an influence campaign in … Read more
The following press release was distributed to media today: WASHINGTON DC – Following a coordinated raid on 11 different locations in and around Kyiv by the secret police (Security Service of Ukraine, SBU) and the confirmed arrests of four journalists affiliated with the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ), international lawyer Robert Amsterdam has condemned the … Read more
The following press release was issued to media today: WASHINGTON DC, January 26, 2024 – On January 25, just one day after a Russian plane was shot down carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, members of Ukraine’s Verkhona Rada said that they intend to move forward to pass a controversial bill aimed at banning the … Read more
Following the publication of the Amsterdam & Partners LLP white paper, “Freedom of Religion Under Attack in Ukraine,” the law firm has released a supplement below detailing the numerous international legal issues facing the passage of Ukraine’s Draft Law 8371, a proposed bill due to be approved next week by the Verkhovna Rada aimed at … Read more
3 січня 2024 року компанія Amsterdam & Partners LLP оприлюднила Білу книгу про зростаючу загрозу релігійній свободі та верховенству права в Україні. Біла книга розглядає атаки на Українську Православну Церкву (УПЦ) з боку українського уряду та спецслужб у контексті незаконного вторгнення Росії в Україну. У ньому подано огляд історичних передумов, політичного втручання, залякування духовенства УПЦ … Read more
The British publication The Tablet is running a story featuring letters from Amsterdam & Partners LLP on the situation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as well as mentions of the white paper. Please see the following excerpt below: Legislation effectively to outlaw the UOC is expected to come before the Ukrainian parliament in mid-January. “There … Read more
Robert Amsterdam has published a new oped on the platform CapX, which is a publication of the British think tank, Centre for Policy Studies. An excerpt follows below: In the case of our client, the Holy Synod, key leaders of the church have been jailed on charges that do not even meet the standards of … Read more