Court in Uzhhorod Postpones Case of UOC Archpriest Dymytrii Sydor

On May 22, the final hearing in the case of Archpriest Dymytrii Sydor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was scheduled to take place at the Uzhhorod City District Court. The case, ongoing for several years, is being heard by Judge Tamaz Demetradze. The day’s proceedings were expected to include the archpriest’s testimony, closing arguments, and the court’s verdict. This was reported by the regional news portal “Anons Zakarpattia.”

However, the hearing has now been postponed to May 23. The reason for the delay is that the defense, led by prominent lawyer Oleksii Fazekosh, requested additional time to prepare for the debates. This followed Judge Demetradze’s earlier rejection of all defense motions, indicating his intent to expedite the proceedings.

Archpriest Dymytrii faces charges under Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — “violation of the equality of citizens based on their race, nationality, regional origin, religious beliefs, or other characteristics.” The defense emphasizes multiple procedural violations and argues that the accusations lack sufficient legal basis.

It is worth noting that Archpriest Dymytrii Sydor, rector of the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral in Uzhhorod, recently received a draft summons from the local Territorial Recruitment Center. The situation is particularly absurd given that Fr. Dymytrii, aside from being under house arrest and investigation, is 68 years old — well beyond the draft age.