Washington, D.C., June 2, 2026
Photo: novosti.dn.ua
Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) reports that she worked with Ukrainian authorities to secure the release of His Eminence Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who is a target of persecution by the Ukrainian state.
“For some time we had been working to secure the release of Metropolitan Arseniy from prison in Ukraine. He was in desperate need of heart surgery and I am happy to report he was released to receive the desperate medical attention he needed and, although on house arrest, is now recovering,” she posted on X on Sunday.
Met. Arseny was initially detained on April 25, 2024, for mentioning a military checkpoint in a homily months prior, with authorities claiming he was secretly relaying military positions to the Russian military. He was finally released from detention on February 25 of this year, with the case against him having made no progress over the course of nearly two years. He remains under house arrest.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. Photo: newhampshirebulletin.com
Representative Luna is one of few in Congress who are willing to vocally defend the persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church. She has met with pan-Orthodox delegations several times to discuss this and other issues.
Her post on X continued:
I want to thank the Ukrainian officials we worked with on this issue and will continue to maintain open lines of communication, although I am still concerned that these UOC clergyman are being targeted and have heard that they are continuing to be sent to the front lines in combatant roles which is against international law.
I will continue to fight for Christians being persecuted, especially if it is in a country that is ASKING for our aid, and will be tracking all of this.
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