Court sends Metropolitan Arseny of Sviatogorsk to pre-trial detention without bail

The Soborny District Court of Dnipro has ruled to elect a measure of restraint in the form of detention without the right to post bail for Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatogorsk. The decision was made in the evening of November 3, 2025, after an hours-long session, during which the bishop’s health deteriorated sharply, requiring his hospitalization. The court ignored requests for sureties from 10 people’s deputies of Ukraine and requests from the Metropolitan himself to undergo treatment. Of the 60 days in the pre-trial detention center, 38 of them for the bishop can not be bailed.

According to the website of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra, the hearing presided over by Judge Olga Konoplenko began in the morning of November 3. During the hearing, which was interrupted by an air raid, the defense side pointed to procedural violations, in particular, the inability to comment on the video of the Metropolitan’s detention. Around 14:00 Vladyka Arseny felt ill, and the arriving ambulance crew recorded his critically high blood pressure — 200 over 110.

The bishop was taken to the hospital, where he was given emergency treatment. However, according to the Metropolitan himself, soon afterwards, despite his unstable condition (blood pressure 180 per 100 and pulse 128), he was taken out of the medical facility and brought back to the courtroom. The session resumed at 17:00 in the presence of believers and clergy who had come to support the vladyka.

In his last word, Metropolitan Arseny asked the court not to send him to a pre-trial detention center, citing poor health. «I ask you to allow me to go from here not to a pre-trial detention center, because I won’t be able to bear it, but to Kiev to undergo treatment there… As a human being, I have the right to protect my health and my life,» he said. The bishop also emphasized his indissoluble connection with the Ukrainian people and the flock, pointing to numerous manifestations of support from the faithful.

At about 20:45, the judge announced the decision: detention in the pre-trial detention center for 38 days, until December 10, 2025. The defense side announced its intention to appeal. On the same day, other court hearings related to the case of the Metropolitan were scheduled, including the correction of an error in the ruling and consideration of a petition on the illegality of the previous detention.

We will remind, on November 3, 2025, the Cathedral Court of Dnipro extended the detention of the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Sviatogorsk Arseniy for another 60 days. The ruling was issued late in the evening after the bishop suffered a hypertensive crisis during the session and required emergency medical assistance.