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# Court Rejects Attempt to Transfer UOC Church to Educational Institution
- URL: https://uoj.news/news/court-rejects-attempt-to-transfer-uoc-church-to-educational-institution/
- Published: 2026-09-25T13:36:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-25T13:36:53.000Z
- Description: An Odessa appellate court rejected the regional prosecutor’s attempt to obtain a UOC church building, leaving the lower court’s decision in place.
- Author: Tobias Straney
- Tags: #Category: News, Church seizures, Church and State, Ukraine Schism, UOC, OCU

**ODESSA, UKRAINE —** The Southwestern Commercial Court of Appeal on September 17 [rejected an appeal](https://t.me/dozor%5Fkozak1/3771) by the Odessa Regional Prosecutor’s Office seeking to take possession of a church building belonging to the Odessa Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The case concerned the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Znamenie” (Our Lady of the Sign).

The prosecutor’s office had argued that the church building was created through the reconstruction of part of the educational building of the Odessa Institute of Finance and sought to have the structure transferred to the educational institution’s balance sheet. The prosecutor’s office lost the case in the first instance before appealing the decision.

[![](https://uoj.news/content/images/2026/09/uoc-church-taken-from-priest-as-his-two-sons-serve-in-ukrainian-army-image.jpg)On this topic“No parish should be seized by force, but…”](https://uoj.news/defending-faith/no-parish-should-be-seized-by-force-but/)

According to the UOC’s account of the ruling, the appellate court found that the legal remedy chosen by law enforcement [was improper](https://t.me/orthodoxvoice%5Fua/14361). The authorities had sought to recover the property through a vindication claim, a legal mechanism for reclaiming property from another party’s possession.

The court reportedly noted that such a claim could not be used in the circumstances of the case because contractual relations between the parties remained in effect. The ruling therefore left the first-instance decision in place and rejected the prosecutor’s appeal.

The court also took into consideration the church community’s longstanding use of the building. According to the UOC, the structure had been openly and continuously used by the community since 2009 for worship and the celebration of church sacraments.

The UOC further stated that government authorities and the relevant ministry had been aware of the church’s presence for many years without raising objections. The dispute therefore centered on the legal basis for the requested transfer of the building rather than on whether the community had been using the property as a church. The appellate court’s rejection of the prosecutor’s appeal means the requested transfer of the church building to the educational institution did not proceed.

Previously, the [UOJ reported](https://uoj.news/news/uoc-says-ocu-supporters-seized-church-with-falsified-documents/) that UOC said OCU supporters seized church with falsified documents.