Court hearing on Upper Lavra postponed until May

Court session on the Upper Lavra. Photo: Telegram channel "Fortetsia Lavra"

On April 28, 2025, a hearing was held at the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal regarding the case of the Upper Lavra, according to the Fortetsia Lavra Telegram channel.

During the session, monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra submitted a petition as a third party not previously involved in the case at the first instance. They argued that the Ministry of Culture’s refusal to extend the lease of the Upper Lavra churches to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) violates the right to freely practice religion and prevents the conducting of religious rites. The court responded that previous rulings did not infringe upon the rights and freedoms of the claimant.

Due to the prolonged session, Lavra’s lawyer, Archpriest Mykyta Chekman, filed a motion to postpone the hearing, noting that he, as a priest, needed to attend a church service. The court granted the motion. The hearing was rescheduled for May 12, 2025, at 3:20 PM.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the hearing on the Upper Lavra had already been postponed once on April 2, 2025.

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