Lavra lawyer details attack on him at court hearing

Lawyers Archpriest Nikita Chekman and Valerii Kushnir. Photo: Screenshot from a video posted on t.me/nikita_chekman

Valerii Kushnir, a lawyer representing the monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, has provided details of an attack on him at the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal in Kyiv. Archpriest Nikita Chekman shared the lawyer’s video statement on his Telegram channel.

According to Kushnir, during the hearing in the Upper Lavra case, he filed a motion to recuse the panel of judges because he had been denied access to the case materials, which he described as a restriction of his access to justice. The court called a recess to allow him to prepare the motion in writing.

As Kushnir was leaving the courtroom and entering the hallway, he felt a hard shove from behind. Turning around, he saw Davyd Pshenychnyi, a radical OCU activist, who began insulting and threatening him. Kushnir said another individual then physically assaulted him but concealed his face behind a poster, preventing the lawyer from identifying him.

Kushnir subsequently felt unwell, and his blood pressure rose. An ambulance was called, and he received medical attention, which was documented. A police investigative team later arrived, and the lawyer gave a statement and filed a formal complaint over the threats and assault.

He pointed out that lawyers enjoy special legal protections and that the incident occurred in full view of police officers and court security personnel. Kushnir expects criminal proceedings to be opened, for him to be officially recognized as a victim, and for those responsible to be held accountable.

As the UOJ reported, a radical attacked a UOC lawyer at the court hearing on the Upper Lavra.

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