Case on the ban of the UOC: DESS appealed the court's refusal to arrest the Church's property

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) has appealed against a court ruling that refused to take interim measures against the property and accounts of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. These measures were requested as part of a lawsuit to completely stop the activity of this religious organization on the territory of Ukraine because of its established ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.

According to Interfax-Ukraine, on October 9, the agency applied to the court with a request to secure the lawsuit. In particular, DESS asked to prohibit state registrars and notaries to perform any actions with immovable property belonging to the Kyiv Metropolitan Church of the UOC, as well as to block all expenditure transactions on the organization’s accounts until the final decision on the case. As justification, the agency pointed out the risks of withdrawal of assets, which, in case of satisfaction of the lawsuit on the ban, should become the property of the state. It also noted the inadmissibility of financing anti-Ukrainian activities in conditions of military aggression.

on October 22, the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal denied the application. After that, the agency filed an appeal. on November 5, the Cassation administrative court as part of the Supreme Court opened appeal proceedings on this complaint.

Recall, earlier we reported that the court hearing on the case of banning the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was again postponed for more than a month. Such a decision of the judges on October 30, the lawyer of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Nikita Chekman, informed the public.