Hierarchs of UOC Appeal to Zelenskyy in Defense of Met. Arseny

Met. Arseny at the court session. Photo: Press Service of the Sviatohirsk Lavra

KYIV — On Nov. 1, 2025, the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), led by His Beatitude Met. Onuphry, addressed an open appeal to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the situation of Met. Arseny, abbot of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra. The full text of the letter is published below, as initially shared by the UOC Press Service.

Dear Volodymyr Oleksandrovych,

We, the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, appeal to you not only as the Head of State but also as a person to whom God has entrusted the mission of safeguarding law, justice, and humanity.

With deep pain and concern, we express our collective alarm over the situation surrounding Metropolitan Arseny (Yakovenko Ihor Fedorovych), abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra. We ask you, Mr. President, to intervene and facilitate his immediate release from custody in order to prevent a threat to the life of a man who has devoted many years to serving God, the Church, and the Ukrainian people.

Metropolitan Arseny has been held in detention for over a year and a half, despite his serious health condition. He suffers from severe heart disease and urgently requires surgery. According to medical conclusions from cardiologists dated September 30, 2025, emergency surgery is necessary, yet medical assistance is not being provided. Instead, the hierarch is subjected to conditions that endanger his life.

Despite a ruling of the Dnipro Court of Appeal on October 23, 2025, granting his release on bail (which was paid on October 27), Metropolitan Arseny was re-arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine on October 28. For nearly 12 hours, including through the night, he was transported between various facilities. Such treatment of a gravely ill man is inhumane and contradicts the principles of humanity and the rule of law.

We particularly emphasize that since 2014, under the leadership of Metropolitan Arseny, the Sviatohirsk Lavra became a refuge for thousands of Ukrainian citizens forced to flee their homes due to hostilities and Russian armed aggression.

Each day the monastic brotherhood of the Lavra provided food for over five thousand people, including about a thousand children, who also received education and spiritual care. Under Metropolitan Arseny’s spiritual guidance, the Lavra became a center of mercy, learning, and spiritual renewal. Everything achieved through his labor deserves the deepest respect and recognition.

His ministry is an example of a true shepherd who did not abandon his people during war but remained by their side in their suffering. His life testifies to genuine patriotism, self-sacrifice, and fidelity to the commandments of Christ.

Beyond the humanitarian aspect, we are deeply concerned about the legal side of this case.

According to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, which follows European legal standards, most precautionary measures are determined through personal recognizance, bail, or house arrest. The use of the strictest preventive measure—detention in a pre-trial facility—along with psychological and moral pressure on Metropolitan Arseny, provokes profound outrage and concern among millions of Ukrainians who follow this injustice daily.

Such treatment not only contradicts the spirit of Ukrainian law but also undermines the authority of justice as an institution meant to protect human dignity.

We are firmly convinced that holding a seriously ill person in detention without proper medical care violates not only the Constitution of Ukraine but also international humanitarian law and the European Convention on Human Rights, which Ukraine has ratified. Such actions are incompatible with the principles on which a democratic and lawful state is built.

Ukraine has always prided itself on religious tolerance, humanism, and its spiritual traditions. A just and compassionate resolution of this case would be a sign of the strength of the Ukrainian state, its moral maturity, and its ability to protect human life.

We earnestly ask you, Mr. President, to take this matter under your personal control, to facilitate the release of Metropolitan Arseny so that he may undergo the necessary treatment and surgery, and to ensure a fair judicial review of his case.

We sincerely pray for Ukraine, for her people and her government, and for all who stand guard over truth, goodness, and peace. O Great and One God, protect our Ukraine!

May the Lord strengthen you, Mr. President, in your high service to the Ukrainian people and grant you spiritual strength and wisdom in making this merciful decision, for, as Holy Scripture says, “Wisdom makes the wise stronger than ten rulers” (Ecclesiastes 7:19).

With respect and prayer,

ONUPHRY,
Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine,
Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

An extensive list of signatures of bishops of the UOC follows His Beatitude.

Previously, UOJ reported that Met. Arseny had emphasized that what is happening is not merely a personal accusation against him but a test for the entire nation.

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