Sitting in a preparatory hearing on 27 March 2025 in case No. 243/4706/24, the Sloviansk City District Court of the Donetsk Region granted the prosecutor's motion: Metropolitan Arseniy's custody in the remand prison in Dnipro was extended by 60 days, to 25 May 2025 inclusive, with no bail amount set. The previous term had expired on 30 March.
The defence had asked for the defendant's release from custody, for the surety of people's deputies, for house arrest or for bail; eleven people's deputies of Ukraine and one of the defence lawyers put in statements offering personal surety. The ruling records that the defence considered the risks unfounded and the custody unlawful. The court rejected every defence motion and the deputies' application and held that the risks were real: that the defendant might hide, destroy evidence, influence witnesses or commit another offence.
The ruling can be appealed to the Dnipro Court of Appeal within five days. The Svyatogirsk Holy Dormition Lavra, Suspilne Donbas writes citing its website, reported that the next hearing is set for 14 April 2025. Ukrinform, which relayed the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office on a 60-day extension with no bail amount, gave 30 May as the end date; the ruling, Suspilne Donbas and Vilne Radio give 25 May.
Metropolitan Arseniy is charged under Article 114-2, part 2, of the Criminal Code; as Suspilne Donbas and Vilne Radio have reported, the charge concerns disseminating information about Ukraine's Defence Forces. He has been held in the remand prison since April 2024.
Sources: ruling of the Sloviansk City District Court of the Donetsk Region of 27 March 2025, case No. 243/4706/24 (copy in the YouControl court-decision catalogue); Suspilne Donbas, 1 April 2025; Vilne Radio, 1 April 2025; Ukrinform, 31 March 2025.
