On April 8, 2024, the Court of Appeal of the city of Kyiv held a hearing on the case of Archpriest Serhiy Chertilin of the UOC, detained by the SSU officers as part of the measures against the employees of the Orthodox online publications “Union of Orthodox Journalists” and “First Cossack”. The defense side, represented by lawyer Nikita Chekman, filed a complaint against the measure of restraint in the form of detention in the pre-trial detention center. This is reported by Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

It is reported that Father Sergius Chertilin participated in the meeting via video link. The court left the priest in the pre-trial detention center, without changing the decision of the court of first instance. The two months that Chertilin must spend in the pre-trial detention center count from the moment of his detention, March 12, the imprisonment should last until May 5, 2024.

“Fr. Sergius does not lower his hands, and this is the most important thing. He is in a cheerful mood. We must not lose faith, and all these trials should temper us, ” – said after the court session his lawyer Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

We will remind, earlier we reported that on March 12, 2024 the Security Service of Ukraine conducted searches at the employees of the Union of Orthodox journalists and the “First Cossack”. According to the results of the conducted measures, four employees of the mentioned media were detained, including Archpriest Sergiy Chertilin. At the request of the Security Service, the detained journalists were deprived of the right to bail. The prosecution demands that they be sentenced to life imprisonment.