MOSCOW, Aug 14 Metropolitan Pavel, Viceroy of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Lebed) was admitted to the hospital due to heart problems, lawyer Nikita Chekman, representing the interests of the monastery, said. Telegram channel.
According to the lawyer, the clergyman's condition has worsened in recent days. According to him, this is due to the unrest experienced. While the Metropolitan was in jail, it was impossible to properly monitor his health, Chekman stressed.
“Now Vladyka has already been operated on, a stent has been installed on him, which expands the walls of the heart vessels to improve blood circulation in the heart,” the Ukrainian edition of Strana.ua quotes the lawyer.
In mid-July, the Solomensky District Court of Kiev changed the measure of restraint Metropolitan Pavel from house arrest to detention with the possibility of bail of 33 million hryvnias. The clergyman is charged with repeated violation of the equality of citizens depending on their religious beliefs, as well as «justification, recognition as lawful, denial of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.» The sanctions provide for up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.
As the governor of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra himself noted, the Ukrainian authorities are persecuting him for his religious beliefs. According to the bishop, he was required to «compromise» and recognize the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine. According to media reports, Metropolitan Pavel was offered to drop all charges if the monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra transferred to the OCU.
On August 9, a bail in the amount of 33 million hryvnias (about 900 thousand dollars) was paid for the clergyman. The SBU said that the release from custody does not mean the removal of criminal liability and will not affect the consideration of the case. The security service stressed that it is only a type of preventive measure. They also recalled that the court imposed a number of duties on Metropolitan Pavel. In particular, he must wear an electronic control device, not leave the village of Voronkov, Boryspil district, Kiev region, without notifying the investigator, and also, upon request, come to the investigator, prosecutor, investigating judge in a criminal case.