The US Delegation are scathing of obstructions or bans on movement and peaceful protests, including the obstruction of believers from the Orthodox Church under the Kyiv Patriarchate trying to reach Kyiv for ceremonies to mark the Festival of the Baptism of Kyiv-Rus on 28 July 2010

The Minister of Internal Affairs has, in response to a deputy’s query, asserted that an official check by the MIA found that there had been no cases where the traffic people obstructed believers of the Orthodox Church under the Kyivan Patriarchate. No explanation for specific cases cited was given

Azerbaijan authorities are refusing to register Evangelical communities under the new law on religion

The traffic police have almost certainly now been used twice to deny citizens their most fundamental human rights. With local elections looming, the consequences of ignoring such violations surely do not need to be spelled out

The Minister of Internal Affairs should carry out a thorough check into numerous violations by the police of the rights of believers from the Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate [UOC KP) during their attempted pilgrimage to Kyiv to celebrate the Baptism of Kyivan Rus.

Despite calls from human rights, media and business groups, the President yesterday signed into law the potentially disastrous Law on Personal Data Protection

At present religious organizations are discriminated against since the law on freedom of conscience imposes a permission-based system of informing, 10 days in advance, of a planned religious gathering

The court had been asked to find that the procedure for getting a passport which made it impossible for her to be photographed in her hijabi was in breach of Article 3 of the Law of Freedom of Conscience as well as Article 35 of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of worship.

I would like to ask one key question: how many trials do we have to still go through before we understand that the old Soviet model of subjugating university rectors by making them dependent is a relic of a totalitarian era which we have supposedly put aside?

The British journalist Economist has drawn attention to certain behaviour by relations between Russian and Ukrainian Security Services, and, noting the recent visit by the SBU to the Ukrainian Catholic University says that “the difference between its tactics and those of the Russia’s FSB seems to be narrowing”

The following Memorandum from Fr. Borys Gudziak, Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University concerns a visit from the SBU, which as Fr. Gudziak points out, is the successor to the Soviet KGB. It warrants attention from all those concerned about the development of democratic institutions and protection of fundamental human rights in Ukraine

A Kyiv court is hearing a case which could create a legal precedent: Susanna Ismailova from Bakhchysarai is demanding that the Ministry of Internal Affairs allow her to have a passport photo taken in her hijab or Muslim headscarf

Representatives of the main Churches and specialists have already slammed one such draft law, believing that such legislative initiatives unwarrantedly narrow the right to freedom of religion whereas dangerous totalitarian sects can even now be stopped in accordance with current legislation

The Institute of Religious Freedom notes with concern that the draft law envisages restrictions on freedom of conscience in cases involving terrorism, extremism and fundamentalism, yet does not provide a definition or the characteristics of such activities

By the end of January 2010 the Verkhovna Rada is due to consider around 10 draft normative acts pertaining to freedom of conscience and the activities of religious organizations

Andriy Yurash from Lviv University was commenting in the wake of a clear statement from the Metropolitan of Lviv and Sokal who believes the Church should become involved and guide believers on who to vote for

On the “Basic Teachings of the Russian Russia Orthodox Church on Dignity, Freedom and Human Rights”, and the apparent obliviousness of Ukraine’s Ombudsperson and National Deputy Kolisnychenko, to their staggering dissonance with Ukraine’s constitution and, in fact, with human rights

The Cabinet of Ministers on 21 August passed a Resolution on improving procedure for entry into Ukraine of ministers of religion from other countries and proposed that parliament waive VAT on Bibles imported into the country

The Institute of Religious Freedom is calling for one law covering all peaceful gatherings, religious or not, and says that the present anomalies have led to violations of believers’ rights

The Institute for Religious Freedom has analyzed Nina Karpachova’s first “annual report” since 2005 and found it seriously wanting as regards religious freedom issues