Lawyer reports provocation in court case on banning Kyiv Metropolia
A letter addressed to a judge of the Sixth Court of Appeal, purportedly from a UOC believer, contained money.
On December 11, 2025, the lawyer of the Kyiv Metropolia in the case concerning its prohibition, Fr. Nikita Chekman, spoke about a provocation against the Church.
He recalled that the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal had been scheduled to hear the case on the liquidation of the Kyiv Metropolia of the UOC, but the hearing did not take place. The case materials had been transferred to the Cassation Administrative Court to resolve the issue of appealing the ruling of the first instance.
According to him, the court received more than 7,000 applications from UOC believers requesting to join the case as third parties. People from all regions of Ukraine believe that a decision to ban the Kyiv Metropolia would violate their rights as citizens and believers.
The lawyer also reported a provocation: the presiding judge in the case, Kobal, informed the parties that one of the envelopes supposedly sent by a believer contained money. The judge notified the High Council of Justice and reported the incident to law enforcement agencies.
“In my deep conviction, this fact is nothing other than a provocation by individuals hostile toward the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The aim is very simple: to trigger a criminal case, initiate an investigation, and exert pressure on people who turn to the court and exercise their constitutional right of access to justice,” Archpriest Nikita Chekman stated.
He urged believers to abide by the law, resist provocations, and refrain from any unlawful actions.
“We understand what strategies our procedural opponents may use. But we know that God is with us,” the lawyer emphasized.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the court case on banning the Kyiv Metropolia had been postponed indefinitely.
