The legal team representing Metropolitan Pavel Lebed, the abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, pressed for the judge to be dismissed after their petition was denied once again. This development came from Strana.ua, which reported the move and the court’s response. The lawyers argued that the judge did not honor their request to review the original audio recordings that underpinned the case, making the proceedings unfair in their view. The judge rejected the lawyers’ request for access to those files, leaving the dispute unresolved.
On April 1, Metropolitan Pavel Lebed arrived at the Kiev Shevchenkivsky District Court under a restraining order. He faces charges under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The presence of the metropolitan at the courthouse marked a significant moment in the ongoing legal process related to the case.
Earlier remarks from the Lavra’s legal team claimed that the court had planned to compel Metropolitan Pavel to appear in court by force on the evening of April 1. At that time, the metropolitan was hospitalized, according to those statements. The new filings and the court’s actions have continued to draw attention to the proceedings and the broader legal and religious context surrounding the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.