On September 4, during a preparatory hearing in the case of Nestor Shufrych, MP of the IX convocation from the banned Opposition Platform - For Life (OPFL) party, and his former assistant Viacheslav Cherepan, Pechersk District Court of Kyiv agreed to summon doctors to court due to Shufrych's poor health, and also agreed to a motion to consider the case by a panel of three judges, UNN reports citing Suspilne.
Details
Thus, in the case of Shufrych, who is accused of high treason and transferring funds to pay for the work of a security firm in the occupied Crimea in 2016, a panel of judges is scheduled to meet at 12:00 on Thursday, September 5, in the Pechersk court.
According to the Suspilne journalist, Shufrych was brought to the court hearing on September 4 directly from the hospital, where he was undergoing rehabilitation after surgery.
One of the first motions of Shufrych's defense was to call an ambulance to the court hearing due to the client's poor health. The court agreed to this, so doctors were summoned to the courtroom. Another petition filed by Shufrich's defense lawyers was a demand to have a panel of three judges consider the case of treason charges, instead of one, as it was on Wednesday. This motion was also upheld.
Thus, the hearing was postponed to 12 o'clock on September 5, and this preparatory hearing should continue with the participation of the panel of judges.
At the same time, according to a Suspilne correspondent, prosecutors say that such a panel may not be able to meet, since, according to them, virtually all the judges of the Pechersk Court have previously participated in the previous stages of this case and must recuse themselves.
If such a board does not convene, the meeting will be further postponed, the publication notes.
Both defendants are accused of financing actions to change and overthrow the constitutional order, seize state power, and change the boundaries of the territory and state border of Ukraine. In addition, Shufrych is also charged with treason. Both defendants deny the charges.
Справу Шуфрича скерували до суду03.09.24, 10:30
Addendum
On September 15, 2023, the Security Service of Ukraine notified of suspicion of high treason against MP Nestor Shufrych.