Implications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Part 1: The “Denazification” Narrative

*Special note: This podcast was recorded on March 3, 2022 and only reflects the events that have occurred up to this date*

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world and created a humanitarian crisis with profound effects for the region and beyond. Among the reasons Russian President Vladimir Putin has listed to justify this invasion is that the operation will “seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.” Putin’s accusation that there is evidence of modern Nazism in the form of antisemitism in Ukraine is not only patently false, but also has religious implications that pose grave concerns.

USCIRF has documented the decline of religious freedom in Russia and warned about Russia’s use of religious freedom violations to suppress dissent and terrorize the population in occupied-Crimea and the Donbas.

Bernard-Henri Levy, noted French philosopher, commentator, and writer has spent decades reporting on human rights abuses and conflict around the globe. He joins us today to discuss the intersection of religious freedom with this ongoing, brutal invasion.

Read USCIRF report on The Anti-cult Movement and Religious Regulation in Russia and the Former Soviet Union

Read USCIRF's report on Religious Freedom Violations in the Republic of Chechnya