ATTORNEY AT BARRISTERS, LLC Oleksandr Shcherbina Spoke at a Press Conference at the “Interfax-Ukraine” News Agency on the Topic:  “Combating Xenophobia and Protecting the Rights of Ethnic Minorities in Ukraine”

On Friday, May 31, 2019, Alexander Shcherbina, an attorney with BARRISTERS Law Firm, spoke at a press conference held at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on the topic: “Combating Xenophobia and Protecting the Rights of Ethnic Minorities in Ukraine: Why Law Enforcement Agencies Are Ineffective.”

In particular, the speaker highlighted the acute problem concerning the persecution and pressure exerted by law enforcement agencies on the religious organization Islamic Cultural Center of Ukraine.

In his remarks, attorney Oleksandr Shcherbina noted that he has been representing and defending the public organization “Islamic Cultural Center of Ukraine” for over a year and emphasized that religion must not be subjected to any pressure from law enforcement agencies, and that the actions of law enforcement officials clearly go far beyond procedural boundaries.

In addition, the speaker discussed a search conducted last year by law enforcement officials, accompanied by operatives from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), at the “Islamic Cultural Center of Ukraine,”  which lasted more than 7 hours, during which literature by the author Yusuf al-Qaradawi titled “What Is Permitted and What Is Prohibited in Islam” was seized.

The book seized during the search, *What Is Permitted and What Is Prohibited in Islam*, holds a prominent place in contemporary Islamic literature; its content promotes dialogue and tolerance. This book has been translated into many languages worldwide and, according to data from the global library database “WorldCat,” has been published in the United States, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and China.

According to Oleksandr Shcherbina, during the search, law enforcement authorities did not allow attorneys to participate in this procedural action. According to the speaker, it becomes clear why this happened: the court order did not explicitly provide for or grant permission to seize the book *What Is Permitted and Forbidden in Islam*.

The speaker also noted that employees of the Security Service of Ukraine should focus on their duties—specifically, the return of Crimea and Donbas—rather than on matters of unclear nature.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Alexander Shcherbina, an attorney with BARRISTERS Law Firm, addressed the audience with a rhetorical question: What exactly is the purpose of such actions by law enforcement agencies, given that no further procedural steps have been taken in over a year and, moreover, no individual has been notified of suspicion within the framework of this criminal proceeding? The answer is simple: this provides an opportunity to undermine the authority of Islamic culture in Ukraine as a whole, as well as the authority of the NGO “Islamic Cultural Center.”

You can view the full version of the press conference at the link.