Lawyers for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are organizing a mass turnout of believers for the trial in the case of the Kyiv Metropolis

Lawyers for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have begun collecting statements from clergy and laypersons who wish to participate in the court proceedings regarding the lawsuit filed by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) seeking the dissolution of the Kyiv Metropolis. The purpose of these actions is to provide believers with the opportunity to appear in court as third parties to defend the rights and legitimate interests of the Church.

The UOC’s attorney, Archpriest Nikita Chekman, has developed and published on his Telegram channel, a special legal guide designed to simplify the procedure for filing the relevant motions. Legal advocates have provided the public with the necessary document templates, including a sample application, step-by-step instructions, and a copy of the DESS lawsuit. Participation in the process is open to bishops, clergy, monastics, and all laypeople who believe that the decision to dissolve the Metropolis will directly affect their constitutional rights.

Lawyers emphasize that the decision to file a petition is a purely voluntary act, based on each believer’s understanding of the possible consequences of the court’s verdict. “Each person makes the decision to file the relevant petition independently, taking into account their own circumstances,” — noted Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

As a reminder, the Kyiv District Administrative Court has opened proceedings on a lawsuit filed by the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), challenging the legality of the creation of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS). The plaintiffs intend to prove that the government decrees on the basis of which the agency was formed violate the requirements of current legislation.