Court leaves abbot of Sviatohirsk Lavra in jail until the end of May

On March 27, 2025, a regular meeting of the Sloviansk City District Court of the Donetsk Region was held to consider the extension of the preventive measure for the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Arseny of Sviatohirsk. As a result of the meeting, the bishop was left in jail until the end of May. This was reported by the press service of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra.

It is reported that the prosecutor in this case filed a petition with the court to extend the detention of Metropolitan Arseny of Sviatohirsk for another two months. The defense, for its part, insisted on releasing the bishop on bail or on the guarantees of MPs of various factions, house arrest, etc., providing all the necessary evidence to refute the prosecutor’s previous arguments about the existence of alleged risks in the event of Bishop Arseny’s release from custody.

After hearing the defense and prosecution, the court refused to release Metropolitan Arseny’s lawyers, upholding the prosecutor’s motion, which was not supported by any evidence. The bishop remains in custody in the pre-trial detention center until the end of May. The next meeting of the Slavic City District Court of Donetsk Region in the case of Metropolitan Arseny is scheduled to take place on Holy Monday, April 14, 2025.

As reported, recently, OCU activists organized a rally near the Sosnovsky District Court of Cherkasy demanding the return of the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv, under arrest. The OCU adherents believe that by releasing the bishop from nightly house arrest, he is able to “deny Russian aggression and incite hatred.”