The UN office continues to analyze this law, but this will take time, Shamdasani told a briefing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill into law on August 24 that bans religious organizations associated with Russia from operating in Ukraine, in a move that specifically targets the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Earlier, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a bill that allowed for the prohibition of the UOC, recognized as canonical by the Russian Orthodox Church. Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said that the UOC would have nine months to sever its ties to the Russian Orthodox Church. The bill will go into effect 30 days after its publication.
The UOC has historic links to the Russian Orthodox Church. It announced its full separation from the Moscow Patriarchate in May 2022, which was not recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church.