Court approves compulsory summons for Metropolitan of Moscow-linked church
On Saturday, 1 April, the Shevchenko District Court of Kyiv approved the compulsory summons of Pavlo Lebid, Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), to a court hearing that will select the restrictive measure to be applied to him.
Details: The UOC-MP reported, citing Pavlo’s lawyer Mykyta Chekman, that after announcing an adjournment until Monday, the court rescheduled the court hearing while Pavlo was supposedly in hospital.
"The compulsory summons was approved. The hearing will be held at 18:30," the UOC-MP said later.
In a comment to Suspilne, the lawyer said that Metropolitan Pavlo was undergoing tests in hospital. The defence believes the compulsory summons to the court hearing constitutes political pressure.
Radio Liberty later reported that Pavlo had returned to the courtroom.
Background:
- On 1 April, Pavlo Lebid was served with a notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Art. 161 (infringement of the equal rights of citizens depending on their race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, disability and other grounds), and Art. 436.2 (justification, recognition as legitimate or denial of the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine or glorification of its participants).
- The Security Service of Ukraine also published recordings of Pavlo's phone conversations and sermons.
- Pavlo Lebid said in the courtroom that he was "against aggression" but did not mention Russia as a perpetrator.
- The court hearing involving Metropolitan Pavlo Lebid has been postponed until Monday.
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