Slovyansk, Donetsk Province, Ukraine, September 12, 2025
svlavra.church.ua
The persecuted Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk, abbot of the Holy Dormition-Svyatogorsk Lavra, who has been unjustly detained for well over a year, secured a minor legal victory this week. On September 10, the Slovyansk City District Court of Donetsk Province held another preparatory hearing in his case.
The presiding judge opened the proceedings despite the absence of several defense attorneys for Met. Arseny. The court began reviewing defense motions that had been submitted in June, including a request to return the indictment to the prosecutor due to non-compliance with criminal procedural law requirements, the Lavra reports.
The court rejected this defense motion, siding with the prosecutor. However, it did grant the defense’s petition to restore the hierarch’s rights to medical and sanitary care, ordering the Dnipro Pre-Trial Detention Center where he has been held to conduct medical examinations and provide appropriate treatment. The Metropolitan’s request that these measures be carried out under the supervision of Ukrainian Parliament members was not addressed by the court.
The defense filed a motion to disqualify the presiding judge, citing violations of Met. Arseny’s right to defense due to the proceedings being held without all attorneys present.
The Metropolitan has been detained since April 25, 2024, on charges of allegedly revealing Ukrainian army positions to Russian forces through a September 2023 homily in which he mentioned a roadblock that was preventing pilgrims from reaching his monastery. The video of this sermon was published days after the roadblock had already been removed. Initially held for 60 days without possibility of bail, his detention has been repeatedly extended by courts rather than proceeding to trial. The hierarch has been forced to miss two Paschas while in custody.
On the day of the hearing, the brotherhood of the Svyatogorsk Lavra served a moleben before the miraculous Svyatogorsk Icon of the Mother of God in the Holy Dormition Cathedral, praying for their imprisoned abbot. The community continues its round-the-clock reading of the akathist to the Protection of the Mother of God, interrupted only for divine services, since the Metropolitan’s arrest.
You can support Met. Arseny’s legal defense via the following methods:
- PrivatBank 4149439029037565
- monobank 4441111032960886
- PayPal lazlavr@gmail.com
- CRYPTO USDT (TRC20) TDiLRouF8j5CNzfZf7hQuy2G1LAfayL61y
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