Bar association condemns radicals' pressure on UOC lawyer
Archpriest Nikita Chekman. Photo: Chekman's Facebook
The Committee for the Protection of Lawyers' Rights of the National Bar Association of Ukraine stated that there are signs of psychological pressure and interference in the work of lawyer Nikita Chekman, who represents the interests of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in court, reports Archpriest Nikita Chekman on his Telegram channel.
The incident occurred on August 26, 2026, in the building of the Northern Appellate Commercial Court during the lawyer's performance of his professional duties. Before the court hearing began, a radical named David Pshenichnyi approached the attorney, publicly calling him "a lawyer of the Russian church" and displaying a paper object resembling a Russian passport with the lawyer's photograph and personal data. At the same time, another person was conducting targeted video recording of the events.
The NBAU Committee examined the provided video recording of the incident and confirmed the fact of unlawful actions against the lawyer. Committee members established the presence of demonstrative psychological and reputational pressure directly related to the performance of professional duties in defending the UOC monastery.
The relevant committee recalled that Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Bar and Legal Practice" categorically prohibits identifying a lawyer with his client. The country's legislation guarantees the protection of a lawyer's rights and does not allow the transfer of the views, beliefs, or legal status of the represented organization onto the defense attorney.
The NBAU sent official appeals to the National Police authorities to verify the progress of the investigation into the complaint filed by lawyer Nikita Chekman and to check compliance with the requirements of Article 214 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
In addition, the investigating judge of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv granted Nikita Chekman's complaint regarding the inaction of law enforcement officers and obliged them to enter information about the offense into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations.
The lawyer of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery expressed gratitude to the relevant committee for its principled response to the provocation committed. "The protection of legal practice serves as a guarantee that every lawyer will be able to perform their professional duties without pressure, persecution, or attempts to influence their legal position through the status or beliefs of the client," Nikita Chekman emphasized.
Previously, the UOJ reported that a lawyer spoke about threats against UOC defenders in court.
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