On August 4, 2023, a court debate took place in the case of Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin. This is reported by the publication Vinnitsa.info.

At the debate, the prosecutor stated that “the guilt in the case of Anatoly Ivanovich Yeletsky of committing the alleged crimes was fully proved by the materials of the criminal proceedings. They found their objective confirmation during the trial.”

In turn, the bishop’s defenders denied this in their speeches, citing a violation of the procedure in collecting evidence, inaccurate wording, addresses, and the absence of witnesses and victims.

The lawyers noted that the suspicion, changes to the suspicion, the indictment were approved by the prosecutor Viktor Mazurenko without proper authority. This is more than enough to completely close the proceedings.

Lawyers emphasized that Metropolitan Jonathan has no status of either a suspect or an accused and, accordingly, a defendant. If the person is not the accused, it is impossible to send an indictment to the court, this is obvious.

The bishop himself once again stated in court that he does not consider himself guilty.

The next hearing in this case was scheduled for August 7.