UNITED NATIONS, July 26. /TASS/. Bishop Gedeon (Kharon), a representative of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who, at the UK’s initiative, was barred from delivering a speech at the session of the United Nations Security Council dedicated to this Christian denomination in Ukraine, has slammed said decision as "blatant lawlessness" and a violation of UN principles.

"The fact that I was not allowed to attend the UN session is blatant lawlessness, first of all, committed by the United Nations, since it has its own laws, which were broken today by the British presidency who opted to deprive me of speaking. It was total lawlessness, a violation of the UN Charter. They might be afraid, afraid of the truth," Bishop Gedeon told TASS.

The hierarch previously served as Father-Superior at the Tithe Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Kiev.

Bishop Gedeon said that in his speech he intended to make public certain facts substantiating increasing persecution of the canonical Christian denomination in Ukraine, of its clergy and laity.

"Not letting a human being say a word first of all means acknowledging their helplessness. In fact, they got scared," he added.

In the meantime, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky described the British presidency of the UN Security Council in July as a shame, pointing out that the UK’s Permanent Mission is trying to impose its own agenda on the Security Council.

According to Polyansky, the UK has demonstrated several times that "the interests of NATO and Western countries are more important for them than their role as presidency." Polyansky pointed out that Russia always abides by the principle of neutrality when assuming the presidency of the UN Security Council.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council held two meetings on Ukraine. The first was convened at Russia’s request and was dedicated to the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Holding the presidency of the UN Security Council in July, the UK barred Bishop Emeritus Gedeon from addressing the meeting. The second session was requested by Ukraine and was dedicated to the alleged destruction of Odessa’s cultural heritage monuments by Russia. Russian representatives refused to take the floor at that meeting.