The Case of the St. Nicholas Miletsky Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: The Trial Continues Before an Expanded Panel

The Volyn Regional Economic Court is hearing high-profile Case No. 903/638/26, brought by the Volyn Regional Military Administration against the St. Nicholas Miletsky Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. According to attorney Mykyta Chekman, the subject of the dispute is a demand for the return of property, which, if the claim is upheld, could lead to the forced eviction of the monastic community from the monastery complex.

Initially , the case was being heard by Judge I.O. Garbar, however, due to his involvement in a similar case—which resulted in the eviction of a religious community from the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church—questions arose regarding his impartiality. Following a series of procedural steps, including a motion for recusal and the judge’s subsequent self-recusal, the case was referred for automated reassignment.

Currently, as the source notes, the proceedings have been transferred to a collegial format: the case is being heard by three judges. This decision was made at the court’s own initiative, given the high level of complexity of the dispute, the special nature of the legal relationships, and the significant public outcry. An important aspect of the proceedings has been the active participation of parishioners: more than 150 motions have been filed with the court to intervene in the case as third parties without asserting independent claims, since the outcome of the proceedings directly affects their legitimate interests.

As a reminder, earlier the monastic community and parishioners of the St. Nicholas Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Miltsy, Volyn Oblast, appealed to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna with a request to protect their religious rights from the threat of eviction. The monastery, with a history spanning nearly 700 years, risks being evicted after its lease expires.