Metropolitan Onufriy of the UOC intends to appeal the deprivation of Ukrainian citizenship

Metropolitan Onufry of the Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) intends to defend his honor and dignity in connection with the deprivation of his Ukrainian citizenship and will appeal the decision of President Volodymyr Zelensky. This was stated on July 2 by the representative of the UOC, Metropolitan Kliment.

"His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy will defend his rights as a citizen of Ukraine and has every right to appeal this decree," he said in a comment to the Public television channel.

Metropolitan Kliment noted that Zelensky is in "certain legal doubt." Metropolitan Onufriy has repeatedly stated that he does not have additional passports other than Ukrainian, and has never asked the authorities of other countries, including Russia, to obtain another citizenship, he said.

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The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced earlier that day that Kiev had decided to revoke the citizenship of Metropolitan Onufry of the UOC. According to the SBU, Onufriy supports the policies of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), as well as Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The Ukrainian agency noted that according to him, Onufriy voluntarily obtained Russian citizenship in 2002 and did not inform the Ukrainian authorities about it.