Court extends arrest of former rector of monastery of Khmelnytskyi diocese of the UOC, suspected of beating a military officer to death

The Starokonstantinivskyy district court in Khmelnytskyy Region has extended a preventive measure in the form of detention for the former rector of the Holy Cross Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the town of Starokonstantiniv, Archimandrite Iosaf Gorkavchuk. He is suspected of fatally beating a serviceman. According to the court decision, the priest will be under arrest until December 18, 2025.

According to the edition zahid.espreso.tv, the defense side petitioned for mitigation of the preventive measure, asking to replace detention with round-the-clock house arrest with wearing an electronic bracelet. The defense lawyers argued their position on the state of health of the suspect and the need for regular treatment, referring to the fact that he has a group II disability.

Despite the arguments of the defense, the court rejected the motion. The ruling states that the presence of disability is not an unconditional basis for changing the preventive measure to a milder one, not involving imprisonment.

We will remind, on August 7, 2025 Metropolitan of Khmelnytsky and Starokonstantinivsky Victor (Kotsaba) visited the Holy Cross Monastery in Starokonstantiniv, where recently there was a tragic incident with the death of a man. After the visit there was an order to change the leadership of the monastery.