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A troubling new practice in Ukraine is undermining fundamental human rights—particularly freedom of conscience and religion. Clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which maintains canonical ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, are being given an ultimatum: either join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU)—now effectively a state-aligned institution controlled by the government—or face mobilization into the Armed Forces.

Ruslan Horbenko, a member of Ukraine’s ruling Servant of the People party and a deputy in the Verkhovna Rada, has announced that young people aged 17 to 25 can now sign contracts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Prominent American journalist and host of a massively popular show, Tucker Carlson, has conducted an interview with Vadim Novynsky — Ukrainian businessman, philanthropist, and former member of parliament. Today, Novinsky stands out as one of the most influential critics of President Zelensky’s regime. The timing of this interview is especially notable, as it airs to Carlson’s millions-strong audience amid intensifying state pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), the country’s largest religious denomination — now under threat of prohibition on the grounds of alleged «Russian influence».

Amid ongoing political repression in Ukraine, it has been confirmed that human rights defender Elena Berezhnaya has suffered a stroke while serving a 14-year prison sentence on charges of "high treason." According to her lawyer, Berezhnaya is in critical condition in a prison hospital under heavy guard. No one — neither her relatives nor independent human rights monitors — is being allowed to visit her.

Ukrainian media recently reported that the lists for a major “1000 for 1000” prisoner exchange have been finalized. Notably, for the first time, Ukrainian outlets have openly confirmed that political prisoners—Ukrainian citizens accused of collaboration, treason, or expressing pro-Russian views—are included on their side of the swap.

On May 22, 2025, brothers Mikhail and Alexander Kononovych were unlawfully detained in Kyiv. Currently held as political prisoners, they are under house arrest with GPS monitoring bracelets. According to the brothers, they were walking to a hospital when a police car suddenly stopped near them. Officers jumped out, claiming the brothers were «wanted for evading military service,» and attempted to forcibly take them to a recruitment center (TCC).

The Ukrainian Supreme Court has refused to overturn the conviction of Metropolitan Ionafan (Yeletskikh) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), who was previously exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war. The decision underscores the ongoing pressure and legal persecution faced by UOC hierarchs under the current Ukrainian government.

Vladimir Linderman is a man whom Latvian authorities call "troublesome." A journalist, public figure, and longtime president of the Native Language Association, he has remained one of the few voices openly speaking about the discrimination against Russian-speaking minorities in the country for over two decades. Now, he himself has become a target of the very system he criticizes.

Despite resistance from parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, on May 6, 2025, St. Andrew’s Church in Cherkasy was seized by raiders from the OCU (Orthodox Church of Ukraine). Notably, this takeover was effectively led by Cherkasy Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko. The police who arrived at the scene not only failed to stop the illegal actions of masked mercenaries but also assisted in expelling all parishioners from the church grounds, afterward barring the faithful from entering the church.

Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has officially addressed the authorities of Cherkasy Oblast with a statement expressing deep concern over the actions of the Cherkasy City Council and representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

Latvian blogger Dmitry Mataev, having served a one-year prison sentence on politically charged accusations, has left Latvia for a safer location. Mataev was released from custody pending the appeal of his case. However, remaining in Latvia posed a risk to his safety.

Ukraine continues to tighten its control over the information space, systematically targeting journalists, bloggers, and political analysts whose views diverge from the official government stance. Recently, prominent media figures—TV host Alexander Shelest and political analyst Vadim Karasev—have faced such restrictions.

Aivo Peterson is an Estonian politician known for his active efforts to protect the interests of the Russian-speaking minority in Estonia. He has repeatedly criticized Tallinn’s official policies, visited Donbass as an election observer, and participated in information campaigns that Estonian authorities consider pro-Russian propaganda.

April 24, 2025, marks one year since the arrest of Metropolitan Arseniy (Yakovenko), abbot of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra. The hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) was detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and remains in custody to this day. According to the monastery’s press service, preparatory hearings in the Sloviansk City-District Court of Donetsk Region are being held via video conference without public broadcast. Once the main hearings begin, the proceedings will transition to a fully closed format, meaning all further court decisions will be kept secret.

For the first time in Ukraine, a public apology has been issued to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (canonical UOC of Kyiv Patriarchate) Sonya Koshkina, editor of «Levyy Bereg» («Левый берег») and a known supporter of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), was compelled to retract false allegations against Bishop Nikita of Ivano-Frankivsk, previously published on Levyy Bereg.