Appeals court keeps Metropolitan Arseniy behind bars

Participants of the online session of the Appeals Court. Photo: Press Service of Sviatohirsk Lavra

On April 21, 2025, Bright Monday, a hearing was held at the Dnipro Appeals Court regarding the case of Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk, according to the website of Sviatohirsk Lavra. The panel of judges considered the defense’s appeals against the decision of the Sloviansk City District Court, which had earlier extended the Metropolitan’s detention until the end of May.

The defense lawyers presented evidence questioning the legitimacy of the prosecutors involved in the hearing on the measure of restraint and argued for the application of a non-custodial alternative for Metropolitan Arseniy. Nevertheless, the court rejected the appeals, siding with the prosecutor – who, notably, provided no evidence justifying the necessity of keeping the abbot of the Lavra in detention.

During the session, it was announced that one of the members of Parliament who had offered to post bail for the Metropolitan – Volodymyr Moroz (24.10.1967 – 21.04.2025) – had passed away. This was reported by another guarantor, Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Viktoriia Hryb.

The next hearing in the case of Metropolitan Arseniy is scheduled for May 6, 2025.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that April 24 marked one year since Metropolitan Arseniy was first imprisoned.

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