Metropolitan Arseniy allowed to attend court hearings via video link

Metropolitan Arseniy. Photo: Sviatohirsk Lavra

Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk, the abbot of the Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra, has been granted permission to attend court sessions via video link, according to the monastery's press service.

"Further court hearings in the case will be held via video conference, as the defense had requested in recent sessions, citing the health condition of the defendant, the conditions of his transport, and security concerns," the statement reads.

The press service reminded why the lawyers petitioned for the metropolitan to participate via video link.

From July to September, Metropolitan Arseniy attended all court hearings in person, which took place in Sloviansk. Each time, he was transported from the Dnipro pre-trial detention center, where he is being held.

"Metropolitan Arseniy suffers from several chronic illnesses, and such transports harmed his health: the trips lasted at least 15 hours (600 kilometers) both ways, including on hot days when temperatures in the shade reached 37–40 degrees Celsius. The metropolitan was transported in a prison vehicle designed for short regional trips, confined in a small 'cup' measuring 50 cm × 70 cm × 150 cm, where it was impossible to change his position. During the entire trip, the abbot of the Lavra had no access to food or water," the statement added.

If the hearings lasted for two consecutive days, the metropolitan had only a few hours to rest at night, making it difficult for him to recover his health. Additionally, part of the route from Dnipro (where Metropolitan Arseniy is detained) to Sloviansk (where the court hearings take place) passes through a combat zone, putting both the metropolitan and his convoy at risk.

It was also noted that Metropolitan Arseny continues to deny his guilt and believes that the case against him has no legal basis. The next court session is scheduled for October 1.

As reported by the UOJ, on April 24, 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that Metropolitan Arseniy (Yakovenko), a vicar of the Kyiv Metropolis and abbot of Sviatohirsk, was suspected of violating part 2 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (dissemination of information about the movement or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, allowing their identification in the field), which carries a penalty of up to 8 years in prison. On the same day, the bishop was taken into custody at the Dnipro pre-trial detention center.

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