Metropolitan Pavel's trial postponed again

On February 20, 2025, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv held a regular hearing in the case of the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the abbot of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed). Today, the prosecutors were supposed to examine the evidence of the suspect’s guilt, but the meeting was postponed to February 27, 2025. This was reported by K24.

It is reported that the prosecutor made an oral request to attach evidence to the case, but provided only part of the evidence of the suspect’s guilt. In addition, according to the judge, the list of evidence was drawn up in violation of the procedure of the Criminal Procedure Code — without a written request.

In turn, the defense did not object to the admission of this evidence to the criminal case, but asked to postpone its hearing and examination, as not all of the suspect’s lawyers appeared at the hearing.

In this regard, the judge adjourned the hearing to 11:00 a.m. on February 27. By that time, she asked the prosecutor to prepare all the evidence in the case and put it in writing.

Earlier, the abbot of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed), said that investigators in one of the criminal cases against him demanded that the bishop recognize Epiphany as his head and give the Lavra to representatives of the OCU.