Case against former Ukrainian MP Shufrych and his aide sent to court

Source: Office of the Prosecutor General

Pro-Russian politician and former Ukrainian MP Nestor Shufrych and his aide are set to stand trial after prosecutors filed their case in court on September 3.

The suspects face serious accusations, including treason and financing actions aimed at the “violent overthrow of the constitutional order, usurping state power, and altering Ukraine’s territorial boundaries” under Art. 110, 111 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.

Investigation has found that soon after Russia’s occupation of Crimea, Shufrych and his former assistant had the lammaker’s Simeiz estate re-registered under Russian jurisdiction, and two years later, in 2016, they signed a security contract with the “Rostov Guard” to protect the property, paying over 648,700 rubles for these services.

Further revelations indicate that Shufrych was recruited by the Russian FSB and carried out missions for a former National Security and Defense Council official who fled to Moscow in 2014. The former lawmaker had consistently promoted “pro-Russian narratives” in his public speeches and interviews, “supporting the aggressor and undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty”.

Both suspects are in custody as the court proceedings continue.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.