Former juror from Chernivtsi sentenced to five years suspended for mobilisation evasion scheme

Court approves plea deal with former juror

The Hertsaii District Court of Chernivtsi Oblast approved a plea deal regarding the admission of guilt by a woman who had served as a juror in the court on 23 October. As a result of the hearing, she was sentenced to five years' imprisonment; however, the court exempted her from actual serving of the sentence, establishing a probation period of one year and six months.

Obtaining a deferment scheme

According to the case materials, the defendant had a wide circle of acquaintances among the residents of the territorial community. By a decision of the Dnistrovskyi District Council of Chernivtsi Oblast, she was included in the list of jurors of the Hotin District Court, which fostered the belief among citizens that she could influence the outcomes of court proceedings.

The verdict states that the juror agreed with employees of the Hotin District Court, the Chernivtsi branch of the Judicial Expertise of the State Institution "Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine", and other unidentified persons to organise a mechanism for the unlawful adoption of court decisions. The aim was to declare individuals legally incapacitated and establish guardianship over them.

In wartime conditions, such guardianship granted men a deferment from mobilisation and allowed them to leave the country. A fee was required for the court decision and the knowingly unfounded conclusion of the forensic psychiatric examination.

Financial arrangements and the first episode

The juror's fees were apparently named by the judge: $3,000 in illicit proceeds for the adoption of a court decision, plus $200 for the judicial experts. Court hearings were held without the participation of the applicant or other parties to the case, as the judge handled the preparation and consideration of the case independently.

In 2023, under this scheme, a woman was declared to suffer from a chronic mental illness and be unable to understand the significance of her actions or control them, without any examination. The judge declared her son her guardian. The wife handed the juror $3,000, ostensibly for the court decision, and another $200 for the expert. The guardianship decision was in force for two years.

Increased demands and extension of guardianship

At the end of 2025, the family again approached the juror to extend the guardianship. However, the judge allegedly told the juror in a conversation that he now needed $6,000 for each court decision, i.e. twice as much. And $800 for the expert.

Subsequently, the judge, under circumstances reliably not established by the investigation, apparently organised the drafting of a motion on behalf of the applicant to extend the validity period of the decision declaring the individual legally incapacitated. The Deputy Head of the Apparatus of the Hotin District Court registered the motion as materials for extending the validity period of the decision in the previously registered court case, rather than as a new court case, so the motion went to the same judge. The applicant's mother was not delivered to the expert institution for an expert examination, and her actual psychiatric examination was not conducted.

On 23 December 2025, the judge, in the absence of the parties, issued a decision extending the validity period of the decision declaring the woman legally incapacitated and leaving her son as her guardian. After receiving a paper copy of the decision, the man again obtained deferments from conscription for military service and left the country for Romania.

Charges and punishment

In June 2026, the juror was dismissed from the Hotin District Court. In August, she was notified of suspicion of aiding and abetting in the drafting and submission to the court of a knowingly false expert conclusion, committed for mercenary motives (Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 384 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations in a special period (Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), and facilitating the illegal crossing of persons across the state border of Ukraine by an official using their official position, repeatedly, by prior conspiracy of a group of persons, for mercenary motives (Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The defendant entered a plea deal admitting guilt. In addition to imprisonment with a probation period, she undertook to transfer 600,000 hryvnia for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to provide the court and the prosecutor with a copy of the payment document.

The judge's role and lack of corruption charges

No corruption offence was charged against the former juror. The case materials mention the implementation of a joint criminal intent with the judge. The judge's name is not mentioned in the verdict, but it is known from open sources that the decision in case No. 724/2773/23 on guardianship was issued by Judge Oleksandr Yefteniev — he continues to administer justice in the Hotin District Court. There are currently no public reports that any charges have been officially brought against the judge.