Ukraine’s Parliament dismisses several judges for breaking oath

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has voted for dismissal of a number of judges, including those who delivered unfair judgments in the cases of Euromaidan activists.

The decision was preceded by intense discussion, Ukrayinska Pravda online newspaper reports.

The MPs dismissed, in particular, Ihor Kozhukhov and Alla Domaratska, as well as judge of Pechersk District Court in Kyiv Svitlana Volkova, who is accused of delivering an illegal judgment on release from detention of former Berkut riot police unit commander Dmytro Sadovnyk.

Judge of the Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine Viktor Tatkov was dismissed due to lustration.

Ukrainian lawmakers have not found common ground on five judges.

The Opposition Bloc faction does not participate in the vote.

MP from the Opposition Bloc faction Vasyl Nimchenko said that the MPs were committing “a crime.”

He, in particular, noted that the law stipulated that the judges should have been informed of their possible dismissal three days in advance and invited to the Verkhovna Rada, but those requirements were not observed and the judges were not present in the session hall.

Chairman of the High Council of Justice Ihor Benedisyuk explained that the issue is that of responsibility of the Parliament, not the High Council of Justice. In addition, he noted that the judges had not been present at the meeting of the Qualification Commission as well.