The investigator has filed a motion to impose pre-trial restrictions on Vitalii Shabunin. Pechersk Court of Kyiv places anti-corruption activist Vitalii Shabunin under personal recognizance amid fraud charges.
In addition, Shabunin’s legal defense is demanding that the legality of the searches be reviewed with the participation of both the lawyers and Vitaliy himself.
This is due to the investigators’ blatant violation of the law – they entered the military unit where Vitaliy serves and his family’s home without a court order.
Previously, the Center for Combating Corruption reported numerous violations committed by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI):
▪️ The investigators provided no justification or grounds for conducting urgent searches without a court order;
▪️ At both the house in Kyiv and the property in Kharkiv region, the searches were organized in such a way that the lawyers could not arrive in time to ensure the protection of rights. Investigators deliberately proceeded without waiting for them;
▪️ During the search in Kharkiv region, the majority of the seizures were not recorded on video. The SBI investigators confiscated, among other things, equipment of unknown origin that may have been planted. It is possible this was done to enable future provocations and discreditation campaigns;
▪️ Investigators seized several items unrelated to the criminal case (including personal devices belonging to Shabunin’s wife and children, and Vitaliy’s watch);
▪️ After the lawyers arrived and attempted to document the process, the SBI threatened to confiscate the lawyers’ phones.
Currently, Vitaliy Shabunin is in Kyiv, where he has been served with a number of subpoenas for questioning at the SBI, which he is required to attend. Therefore, he is currently unable to return to his place of military service.
The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv has imposed a personal recognizance measure on prominent anti-corruption activist and serviceman Vitaliy Shabunin. Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) suspects Shabunin of draft evasion and fraud.
Under the court order, Shabunin is prohibited from leaving the village in Kharkiv region where his military unit is based without permission from a prosecutor, investigator, or judge—except when acting under direct orders from his commander. He is also barred from visiting the headquarters of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) or communicating with its staff. The prosecution had requested this measure.
In his comments, Shabunin claimed the case is riddled with manipulation. He said details of his formal charges were leaked to Telegram channels allegedly affiliated with the Office of the President.
Shabunin’s lawyer, Serhii Rokun, argued that his client had been carrying out assignments at the NACP based on orders from his military command. These missions, he added, were initiated by formal requests from the agency’s then-leadership. During this period, Shabunin took part in anti-corruption initiatives, including legislative work.
The defense maintains that the charges are unfounded and politically motivated. Rokun also noted that the investigation was launched two years ago, yet Shabunin was never questioned until now.
Investigators allege that after being mobilized in 2022, Shabunin was largely absent from military service and spent significant time at civilian institutions, specifically the NACP, which is not part of Ukraine’s Armed Forces structure.
Tags: corruption corruption in Ukraine Ukraine
