Lawyer speaks about the role of SBU in the campaign against Lavra

Lawyer of the Lavra Archpriest Nikita Chekman. Photo: screenshot of Chekman's telegram channel

On July 20, 2023, the lawyer of the Lavra and Metropolitan Pavel, Archpriest Nikita Chekman commented on the situation surrounding the court hearing in the case of the “eviction of the monks” on his Telegram channel. He also stated that the security forces are exerting pressure on Metropolitan Pavel, the abbot of the monastery.

According to the lawyer, the investigator handling Metropolitan Pavel's case scheduled his interrogation for the same day and time as the scheduled session of the Commercial Court, where the Reserve's lawsuit against the monastery regarding the "eviction of monks" was supposed to be heard.

The lawyer said that the meeting was postponed because the investigator ordered the Metropolitan to be "delivered" for interrogation, during which Fr. Nikita had to be present there as the hierarch's attorney. However, Father Nikita did not manage to reach his client as the hierarch was taken away for interrogation, during which he refused to give testimony without his lawyer present.

“Look at what is happening in general,” explains the lawyer. “The reserve wants to evict the monks. They are holding Metropolitan Pavel, who is the head of the monastery and the only person authorized to sign, in custody. On that very day when the case of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra brethren's eviction is being considered, they exert psychological pressure on him, an elderly person with health problems.”

He mentioned that at all court hearings related to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra case, members of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) are always present in the courtroom, documenting everything. 

In the lawyer's opinion, they are there to exert psychological pressure on the judge, so that she doesn't make lawful decisions.

"They don't need lawful decisions; they need the decisions they want to carry out their criminal assignments," the lawyer concluded.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the trial "for the eviction of the monks" of the Lavra was postponed to August.

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