Persecuted Metropolitan Arseny urgently needs heart surgery

Slovyansk, Donetsk Province, Ukraine, Octobe 3, 2025

Photo: ​​svlavra.church.ua Photo: ​​svlavra.church.ua     

Persecuted Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk, abbot of the Holy Dormition-Svyatogorsk Lavra, urgently requires heart surgery, according to medical specialists who examined him on September 30.

Due to his deteriorating health condition, the unjustly detained Metropolitan was taken to a hospital in Dnipro for cardiac and vascular examinations, where he was seen by a cardiologist and an arrhythmologist. The arrhythmologist determined that heart surgery is necessary, and doctors also recommended comprehensive examinations by specialists in other fields, the monastery reports.

Met. Arseny has been unjustly 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 persecuted hierarch has been forced to miss two Paschas while in custody.

Moreover, the term of his latest pretrial detention extension expired on September 29, thus he is currently being held unlawfully.

The Metropolitan was long denied the right to medical care while in custody. Only last month did a court order that he receive his necessary care.

During a hearing on Wednesday, October 1, the persecuted Metropolitan’s condition worsened, and his attorney requested that the session be interrupted. Only after persistent requests from the defense did the judge announce a postponement of the hearing until today.

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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10/3/2025

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