Key facts
- A Ukrainian court has banned journalists from publishing an investigative report.
- The report focuses on Oleksandr Sukhachov, brother of State Investigation Bureau head Oleksiy Sukhachov.
- The ban was issued by Judge Serhiy Vovk of Kyiv’s Pechersk District Court.
- The Anti-Corruption Action Center, Slidstvo.info, and journalist Alina Stryzhak are prohibited from publishing the investigation.
- The investigation reportedly details 143 properties allegedly owned by Oleksandr Sukhachov.
- The ruling was a pretrial injunction requested by Parkovy-2, a company linked to Oleksandr Sukhachov.
A Ukrainian court has issued a ban on the publication of an investigative report concerning the brother of Oleksiy Sukhachov, the head of the State Investigation Bureau. Judge Serhiy Vovk of Kyiv’s Pechersk District Court ruled on July 6 that the Anti-Corruption Action Center, the media outlet Slidstvo.info, and journalist Alina Stryzhak are prohibited from releasing their findings on 143 properties allegedly owned by Oleksandr Sukhachov, a Kharkiv-based businessman.
The court's decision came after Parkovy-2, a company reportedly linked to Oleksandr Sukhachov, filed a motion seeking a pretrial injunction. The company claimed that publishing the report would cause significant damage and make it impossible to remove confidential information, including personal data and trade secrets, from the internet.
Olena Shcherban, deputy executive director at the Anti-Corruption Action Center, described the ruling as "manifestly unlawful" and a violation of fundamental rights to gather and disseminate information of public interest. She stated it contravenes Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Ukraine's Law on Information, and Ukraine's Law on Media, and represents a continuation of pressure on journalists.
Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, called the ruling a "highly dangerous precedent" and a direct restriction on freedom of speech. She suggested authorities might be using the case as a test to prevent journalists from exposing corruption, and confirmed the organization would appeal the decision.
The State Investigation Bureau, headed by Oleksiy Sukhachov since 2022, has faced accusations of being a political tool, with his appointment described by activists as non-transparent. The bureau's Khmelnytsky branch also faced scrutiny in July 2022 for allegedly destroying secret materials in major criminal investigations shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion, with links to pro-Kremlin politicians fueling speculation of treason or corruption.
Judge Serhiy Vovk, who issued the ban, has a controversial past, including sentencing an opponent of former President Viktor Yanukovych to prison in 2012 on politically motivated charges, according to the European Court of Human Rights.