On the кefusal to кelease Metropolitan Arseniy
Metropolitan Arseniy. Photo: Press Service of the Sviatohirsk Lavra
The lawyers of Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk have stated that the bishop is currently behind bars without any legal grounds. His previous pretrial detention term has expired, and no new court ruling has been issued. The legal team demanded the immediate release of the hierarch – but were refused.
And the issue here is not even that the archbishop was arrested and thrown into a pretrial detention center based on absurd and laughable accusations. At this point, his continued imprisonment is no different than randomly jailing a passerby from the street without any cause.
Why is this happening? The reason is clear: the order to arrest the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra came from the very top. And if he were released now, it would be far more difficult to lock him up again. That is why they are holding him in custody by any means necessary.
What’s truly astounding is that the authorities go out of their way to assure their “international partners” that Ukraine is a shining example of religious freedom. Yelenskyi personally boasts that our country is a “beacon” of religious tolerance. To advocate for itself abroad, the Office of the President sends members of the AUCCRO to various meetings and conferences. There, representatives of different faiths boldly proclaim the existence of unprecedented religious freedom in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, one of the most respected and beloved hierarchs is rotting behind bars for no reason – for fifteen months already.
This is their “beacon,” this is their “freedom.”
Straight out of George Orwell.
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