Lawsuit Over the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra: The Court of Appeals Denied the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Request to Postpone the Hearing

The Northern Economic Court of Appeals ruled to continue hearing the case regarding the lease of premises at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, despite attempts by attorneys for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to postpone the hearing. The hearing on the merits of the appeal is scheduled for October 10, according to and Espreso.tv.

During the hearing, the UOC’s lawyers moved to postpone the proceedings, citing the need for the new defense representatives to review the case materials, as well as a proposal by the UOC monastery to extend the terms of the expired lease agreements for the Cathedral of the Dormition and the Refectory. However, Ivan Prokopenko, a lawyer for the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, called these arguments a tactic to drag out the proceedings. He emphasized that the lease agreements officially expired on December 31, 2022, and the reserve’s administration has no intention of entering into settlement agreements.

As a reminder, earlier, Archpriest Nikita Chekman, a lawyer for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), issued a statement regarding systematic provocations and direct threats of physical violence directed against those defending the interests of the UOC. The lawyers have faced organized aggression from a group of individuals attempting to discredit the legal activities of the Church’s defenders.