Metropolitan Pavlo of Russian-aligned church left under house arrest

The Solomyanskyi District Court of Kyiv has extended the measure of restraint for Metropolitan Pavlo Lebed of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in the form of round-the-clock house arrest.

Source: Suspilne

Details: Suspilne has reported that the court approved the prosecutor's request to extend the arrest with the wearing of a bracelet for another two months. The defence requested a personal commitment or night house arrest.

The decision to extend the arrest is to be appealed to the Kyiv Court of Appeal.

Previously: 

• On 1 April, Pavlo Lebid was served with a notice of suspicion for "infringing the equal rights of citizens based on their religious beliefs" and "glorifying participants in the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine".
• The Security Service of Ukraine also published recordings of Pavlo's phone conversations and sermons.
• Lebid said in the courtroom that he was "against aggression" but made no mention of Russia as a perpetrator.
• The court hearing to choose a preventive measure for the Metropolitan was postponed to Monday. Pavlo said he was feeling unwell "because of his sugar level". However, the hearing was later rescheduled for 18:30 on Saturday, with the court agreeing to bring Pavlo in forcibly.
• The Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Kyiv placed Metropolitan Pavlo under round-the-clock house arrest until 30 May on suspicion of inciting sectarian hatred and condoning Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.
• At a court hearing in the Kyiv Court of Appeal on 21 April, Pavlo stated that he was unable to charge the electronic bracelet he was ordered to wear due to the lack of electricity in his home. Nevertheless, the court left him under house arrest.

Background: 

• In March 2023, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve terminated the agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery in Kyiv. The monks were to leave the monastery and all buildings on 29 March.
• The priests of the UOC-MP were supposed to leave the monastery on 29 March, having held their last service there.
• However, the abbot of the monastery, Metropolitan Pavlo, said that they did not plan to do so and were filing a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.
• He also openly threatened President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko "possessed by a devilish demon".
• On the evening of 29 March, the UOC-MP website reported that the Kyiv Commercial Court had opened proceedings on a lawsuit filed by the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery) against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve over the termination of the lease agreement by the reserve.

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