The US State Department announced on December 9, 2022, the introduction of sanctions against the Chairman of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv Pavlo Vovk and two members of his family.
Source: US Department of State, Pavlo Vovk, the Chairman of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv
“Pursuant to Section 7031(c), the Department of State is designating Vovk for soliciting bribes in return for interfering in judicial and other public processes. As part of this action, two immediate family members are also designated,” noted the US Department of State.
The sanctions are imposed as part of the so-called “Magnitsky Act”, which provides punishment for people involved in large-scale corruption, persecution and human rights violations, and includes a ban on entering the United States.
In Ukraine, Pavlo Vovk appears in the case of “films of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv” made public by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. According to them, Pavlo Vovk interfered in the work of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv, influencing decision-making in certain cases for money.
In 2020, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine accused Pavlo Vovk, his deputy Yevhen Ablov and five other judges of this court, as well as the head of the State Judicial Administration, Zenoviy Kholodniuk, of suspicion of creating a criminal organization and seizure of power.
However, the head of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv, Pavlo Vovk, said that he will “calmly survive” the sanctions imposed on him by the US State Department, and continues to insist on the groundlessness of the accusations.
“In recent years, I had to experience a lot, so I will also experience the lack of opportunity to go to the USA. I stayed in Ukraine all this time and do not plan to go anywhere, because I am sure of the absurdity of these accusations. And I advise all actors who engage in such dirty manipulations to start thinking about who they will complain to next. Everything is just the beginning,” said Pavlo Vovk.
The odious judge also stated that the decision to impose sanctions is a “logical” development of the events of a multi-year campaign aimed at gaining control over the judicial power of Ukraine by certain international structures.
See also: Ukraine is working with the USA on new sanctions against Russia
