UOC lawyer reports gross violations at court hearing on Upper Lavra
Archpriest Nikita Chekman reported numerous procedural violations at the court hearing on the Upper Lavra case in Kyiv.
The hearing of the Kyiv Northern Commercial Court of Appeal on the Dormition Cathedral and the Refectory Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, held on November 12, 2026, was marred by gross procedural violations, reports UOC lawyer Nikita Chekman on his Telegram channel.
According to the lawyer, not all parties involved in the case were notified of the court hearing. In particular, the monks of the monastery, who had been joined to the proceedings as third parties, did not receive notification.
Lawyers representing the UOC were given just one minute each to present lengthy written motions. Meanwhile, the judges reportedly reviewed 30 volumes of case materials, comprising approximately 7,500 pages, in about five minutes before immediately proceeding to closing arguments. When the defense attorneys challenged the panel of judges, the court rejected the motion without even allowing them to explain the grounds for their challenge.
During statements by the monastery's representatives and monks, the judges repeatedly interrupted them and raised their voices. Meanwhile, activists present in the courtroom shouted insults. "Why are you even listening to them? They're FSB agents!" and "Moscow's lackeys!" were among the remarks shouted from the audience. However, the court failed to respond to the defense's requests to reprimand those present and restore order in the courtroom.
Due to obvious procedural violations and concerns about the judges' impartiality, UOC lawyers were forced to leave the hearing after 6 p.m. However, the panel of judges continued the proceedings in their absence and announced that it would deliver its ruling immediately after the air raid alert, which had sounded during the closing arguments, ended.
"The course of the hearing gives the impression that the proceedings were being rushed and raises questions about possible external influence on the court," said Archpriest Nikita Chekman. He added that the proceedings as a whole had been largely a formality.
As the UOJ reported, earlier a UOC archbishop accused a people's deputy of pressuring the court in the Upper Lavra case.
