The Sviatogorsk Lavra told details of the court decision to release Metropolitan Arseny from custody

Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatogorsk, the vicar of Sviatogorsk Lavra, has been changed his preventive measure from detention to round-the-clock house arrest. The corresponding decision was made by the Chechelovsky district court of Dnipro on February 25, 2026, after which Lord Arseny was released right in the courtroom.

According to the official website of Sviatogorsk Lavra, the next preparatory hearing in the case of Metropolitan Arseny was held on February 25, 2026. The main issue was the consideration of the motion of the defense to change the measure of restraint to a non-custodial measure. In the courtroom, the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Victoria Hryb came to support Metropolitan Arseniy.

The lawyers insisted on replacing detention in custody, which is an exceptional and extreme measure of restraint in criminal proceedings, with bail, release on bail or house arrest. They referred to the relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which considers 24-hour house arrest as an alternative to detention in a pre-trial detention center.

The defense side also stressed that Ukraine is a leader in the number of cases filed with the ECHR, where every Thursday decisions are made against the country because of violations of citizens’ rights regarding unjustified prolongation of detention. Article 5 of the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was mentioned, which guarantees an arrested person «trial by a court within a reasonable time or release during the proceedings.»

In addition, the lawyers filed a motion to return the indictment due to its non-compliance with the requirements of Article 291 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

Having heard the defense and prosecution, Judge Tetyana Vasilyevna Bezruk announced the court’s decision: to replace the preventive measure with a 24-hour house arrest until April 25, 2026, without the use of electronic control. The court refused to satisfy the motion to return the indictment. The decision is not subject to appeal.

Metropolitan Arseniy was released directly in the courtroom. The next session of the Chechelovsky court is scheduled for March 5 at 11:30.