A former head of the Poltava district court received a 15-year prison sentence for state treason after aiding Russian forces [1].
The conviction highlights the ongoing legal efforts by Ukraine to prosecute high-ranking officials who collaborated with Russian authorities in occupied territories. Such cases serve as a deterrent against internal betrayal within the judicial system during wartime.
According to prosecutors, the defendant served as a judge in Berdiansk during the Russian occupation, which began in March 2022 [3]. The court found that she provided critical information to Russian troops and the Federal Security Service (FSB) [1].
Prosecutors said she supplied Russian forces with data regarding the movements of Ukrainian military units. Additionally, she reported judges who remained loyal to the Ukrainian state to the FSB [1]. These actions were classified as state treason under Ukrainian law.
The defendant was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in spring 2024 [4]. In addition to the 15-year prison term, the court ordered the confiscation of her property [2].
The legal proceedings focused on the period starting from the full-scale invasion in February 2022 through the occupation of Berdiansk. The court determined that the defendant used her position of authority to facilitate Russian intelligence operations, an act that compromised national security.
The sentencing follows a pattern of treason trials involving civil servants who transitioned into roles within the Russian-installed administrations in the south and east of the country.
“A former head of the Poltava district court received a 15-year prison sentence for state treason”
This sentence reflects Ukraine's strategy to purge its judiciary of collaborators and signal that professional status will not provide immunity from treason charges. By targeting a former district court head, the state is emphasizing that the betrayal of national security by legal officials is treated with maximum severity to maintain the integrity of the post-war legal system.
