Court session held in Kryvyi Rih on the case of Metropolitan Arseniy

UOC believers came to support Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk at the Dnipro Court of Appeal in Kryvyi Rih. Photo: Sviatohirsk Lavra

On July 1, a session was held in the Dnipro Court of Appeal in Kryvyi Rih on the case of the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, Metropolitan Arseniy. According to the monastery's press service, the court reviewed the jurisdiction of the question regarding further preventive measures.

Previously, during sessions on June 19-21 and 24 in the Sloviansk City District Court of the Donetsk region, a contentious issue arose regarding which court should decide on the further preventive measures for Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk.

On the initiative of the judge, this issue was transferred to the Dnipro Court of Appeal in Kryvyi Rih.

It is reported that the court supported the opinion of the lawyers that the case is of public interest and denied the prosecutor's motion to hold the session behind closed doors. The court admitted free listeners – parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and media representatives.

"According to the decision of the Court of Appeal, the issue of further preventive measures for Metropolitan Arseniy will be considered, as before, in the Sloviansk City District Court, but by a different judge.

Thus, the final decision on where the abbot of the Lavra will stay pending the resolution of the case against him has not been made. Since April 25, Metropolitan Arseniy has been in detention in the Dnipro pre-trial detention center," the statement said.

The date and time of the next session will be announced later by the monastery.

As the UOJ reported, the SBU stated that the case against Metropolitan Arseniy is ready for substantive consideration.

Read also