The authors of the document believe that the laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) infringe upon freedom of religion and beliefs and were enacted without sufficient justification.
"Ukraine has not demonstrated the necessity and proportionality of this, for instance, by applying restrictions against specific individuals, which could have been satisfactory and adequate," the document states.
The UN considers the wording of Ukrainian legislation "vague," stating that a religious organization can be dissolved if its authorized representatives are convicted of crimes against national security or for repeatedly promoting the "Russian world."
The report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner also condemns the state's right not to renew lease agreements for churches with such organizations, which may "restrict freedom of religion and contribute to social tension" in Ukraine.