Ukrainian Judicial Council Demands Top-Level Oversight of Dnipro Judge Assault Probe

Judge Attacked in Dnipro

According to Главком: On March 13, 2024, at 5 p.m., a judge from the Dnipro Industrial District Court was violently assaulted near her home. The attack, carried out by three masked men who arrived in a car with no license plates, left the judge with a severe head injury, requiring hospitalization. The assailants struck her on the head, used pepper spray, and attempted to force her into their vehicle. This incident highlights the escalating dangers faced by judicial officials in Ukraine during a time of national crisis.

The judge's husband was also injured while intervening to prevent her abduction. In response, the Council of Judges of Ukraine has formally requested that the leadership of the National Police and the Prosecutor General take the investigation under their personal control. Law enforcement agencies are currently working to establish a motive and are conducting investigative actions.

Response from the Council of Judges of Ukraine

The newly elected head of the Council, Vitaliy Salikhov, a judge of the Kyiv Court of Appeal, stated that this may be one of the most brazen and brutal attacks on a judge since the onset of the full-scale war. The Council has announced it will initiate several measures to enhance judicial security.

These measures include:

• Restricting access to information about judges' places of residence and their family members;
• Reviewing the scope of publicly available judge data in state registries;
• Implementing additional mechanisms to protect judges' personal data.

The assault serves as a stark warning about the growing threats to judicial independence in Ukraine, particularly amid the ongoing conflict. The Council's decisive reaction underscores the gravity of the situation and its commitment to safeguarding judges and their families. With the justice system under pressure, it is critical for law enforcement to take all necessary steps to solve this crime and prevent future attacks.