European Court Rules in Favour of Religious Tolerance in Ukraine
Pecohub On July 9, 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a favorable judgment in the case of Barsuk and Gyl v. Ukraine.
The Court’s decision reaffirms that our door-to-door preaching is a protected expression of our religious beliefs. The decision also provides additional protection for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all those living in the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, regardless of their religious beliefs.
In March 2016, two elderly sisters, Tamara Barsuk and Vira Gyl, were participating in the house-to-house ministry in Chuhuiv, Ukraine. A man unexpectedly approached the two sisters and, after identifying them as Jehovah’s Witnesses, savagely beat them into unconsciousness.
He also destroyed the Bible-based literature the two sisters were carrying. A neighbor intervened to stop the vicious assault, and police arrested the man at the scene. However, during the investigation, the police refused to acknowledge the religious motive behind this assault. After repeatedly postponing court hearings, the case was closed in March 2021.
As a result, the assailant was never held liable for his brutal attack on our sisters. After pursuing all other available legal means, the sisters decided to petition the ECHR to hear their case.
In its judgment, the ECHR found that Ukraine had violated our sisters’ rights under multiple articles of the European Convention on Human Rights. Specifically, the Court determined that our sisters had been subjected to degrading treatment and religious discrimination during and after the assault.
In addition, the Court awarded each sister 4,000 euros ($4,631 U.S.) for emotional and physical suffering. It also directed Ukraine to compensate the sisters’ combined legal costs.
