religion
About 6,500 priests exempt from mobilization in Ukraine
Churches and religious organisations carry out immense humanitarian and social work, strengthening the home front and supporting the front lines, so they can be designated as critical infrastructure if they meet a series of requirements, Yelenskyi said
More than half of Ukrainians support banning Ukrainian Orthodox Church over Russia ties – poll
More than two-thirds of Ukrainians (68%) rate the country's religious freedom as high, while 27% rate it as low. An overwhelming 88% of respondents said they had not experienced discrimination due to religious beliefs, either personally or through their families
Quran confiscated from citizen journalist Seiran Saliiev in Russian penal colony
Alongside the confiscation of the Quran, Saliiev has been repeatedly placed in a punishment cell. According to his family, since 2024, he has effectively been held in continuous solitary confinement, where he is punished even for minor formal violations, including an unbuttoned uniform or an allegedly improperly made bed
Ukraine’s denial of alternative service for believers violates international law — UN
There have also been instances where believers, once in the military, found themselves unable to perform their duties due to religious restrictions
Human rights activists have identified 25 individuals involved in the persecution of citizen journalist Remzi Bekirov
Those implicated in Bekirov’s persecution include Russian judges, prosecutors, and Federal Security Service (FSB) officers. A journalist and activist with the "Crimean Solidarity" movement, Bekirov has faced harassment since 2017. Following his arrest in 2019, he was held in Russian pretrial detention centers and penal colonies under inhumane conditions, subjected to forced transfers and psychiatric evaluations, and denied the full right to a legal defense
What the EU Shadow Report is and how independent experts assessed Ukraine’s progress over the past year
In this article, ZMINA highlight main findings of civil society on Ukraine’s progress toward EU accession over the past year, particularly in the areas of justice and fundamental rights
Russia persists in illegal prosecution of Crimean Jehovah’s Witnesses, jails man for six years — Crimean Human Rights Group
The Crimean Human Rights Group considers these lawsuits as violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. According to the Crimean human rights defenders, the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses violated Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which addresses freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
Crimean Muslim political prisoner endures harsh conditions for over three years in Russia’s Bashkortostan colony
One reason cited was that he did not interrupt his prayers when the colony chief entered the cell. Aliyev sent a complaint about his placement in solitary confinement to the Salavat City Court, but the situation did not change
Russians damaged Kyiv’s main mosque in a deadly overnight barrage
The Mission of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea reported that all the windows and doors in the mosque building were shattered. According to the mosque's mufti, Murat Suleymanov, a rocket landed just 50 meters from the structure, with falling debris causing additional destruction
“The truth makes a person free, and therefore victorious”: a documentary about the oppression of priests in occupied Melitopol was shown in Kyiv
The documentary film "No God But Theirs", created by The Kyiv Independent, took place in Kyiv, which highlights the oppression of priests in occupied Melitopol
Kremlin’s prisoner, journalist Remzi Bekirov, reports violations of Muslims’ rights in Russian colony
For now, Bekirov manages to eat iftar during the general mealtime in the dining hall at 7:00 p.m. However, the lawyer noted that due to the increasing daylight hours, he will no longer be able to eat with the rest of the prisoners in the evening by the end of March
Jehovah’s Witness Vitaliy Buryk arrested in temporarily occupied Kerch
Occupation authorities claim the 53-year-old Kerch resident allegedly organised meetings of a district branch of this religious organization and stored banned literature at home
Jehovah’s Witnesses jailed for six years by sham “court” in temporarily occupied Crimea
The convicted men maintain their innocence regarding charges of organizing extremist activities and have requested acquittal in their appeals
Kremlin’s forgotten political prisoners in Crimea: Human rights advocates urge global focus on Ukrainian hostages at the Crimea Platform
In this article, ZMINA reveals what was debated on the sidelines of the summit, the potential prerequisites for peace, the scale of the crisis involving Crimeans persecuted by Russia, and why raising awareness is crucial to achieving justice
Russians damage mosque and islamic cultural center in Kyiv
Local authorities reported that debris from destroyed missiles injured three people
Ukraine condemned destruction of Holy Cross Exaltation Church in temporarily occupied Yevpatoriia
The Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea has initiated criminal proceedings under Article 438, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine ("Violation of the laws and customs of war")
Russians dismantled last Ukrainian church in temporarily occupied Crimea
Parishioners refused to cooperate despite constant threats and pressure to follow the so-called court ruling. Thereby the Russian-controlled authorities in Yevpatoriia filed another court appeal, this time seeking to demolish the temple on their own and make the parishioners cover the costs
Russia persecutes at least 25 Crimean residents for their faith as Jehovah’s Witnesses
As reported by “Jehovah’s Witnesses”, at least 25 Crimean residents have been persecuted for their faith. Six of them have been serving sentences in the penal colonies
Columns
Only 5% of those responsible for deporting Ukrainian children face global sanctions
The human safari: How Russia weaponized precision against Ukrainian civilians
The lesson of Crimea: Rewarding aggression only invites more war
Not just Ukraine — Russia is preparing Ukrainian children for future wars elsewhere
