Pressure on activists and disrespect for the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "Maidan judge" Zhernakov accused of monopolizing the Public Integrity Council

Mykhailo Zhernakov, a "Maidan judge" and executive director of the NGO "Dejure Foundation," has been accused of promoting "desired" candidates to the Public Integrity Council (PIC) and of financial fraud involving foreign donor funds. "Sudovo-yurydychna Gazeta" published details of the scandal during the elections to this council. This was reported by UNN with reference to UNIAN.

Mykhailo Zhernakov, the executive director of the grant organization "Dejure Foundation" and owner of "controlling stakes" in the two previous PIC compositions, was accused of manipulating the elections of PIC members, promoting candidates personally desired by him to the PIC ("Zhernakov's lists"), pressuring individual public representatives, intrigues, slander, "usurpation of power," and even financial fraud with funds from foreign donors intended for "supporting judicial reform in Ukraine."

The publication noted that during the election procedure for the Public Integrity Council, a scandal erupted – three members of its still-active composition – Kostiantyn Smolov, Oleksandr Voloshyn, and Tetiana Katrychenko – withdrew their candidacies in protest against Zhernakov's activities. Public activists called him and the NGO "Dejure Foundation" monopolists in supporting the PIC's activities with foreign funds and accused them of concealing information about grants totaling hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

"For 'PIC support' alone, American partners allocated more than $500,000 (almost 21 million hryvnias)," writes "Sudovo-yurydychna Gazeta."

Zhernakov was also accused of concealing information not only from council members but also from foreign partners, i.e., donors, the authors of the material note.

Ultimately, public activists accused Zhernakov of forming, in a "manual mode," a list of individuals to be selected for the Public Integrity Council.

The list of individuals to be selected for the PIC was compiled in advance and discussed with other public organizations that form the council. These NGOs were even sent a draft ballot indicating which candidates should be supported during the elections. Thus, candidates for the new PIC composition were divided into "desired" and "undesired."

The publication reported that Mykhailo Zhernakov's "virtues" had been known for a long time, but the so-called "public sector" had tried for years to ignore the obvious, probably because it was "necessary."

In particular, "Sudovo-yurydychna Gazeta" writes that Zhernakov, appointed by Yanukovych in 2012 as a judge of the Vinnytsia District Administrative Court, on February 19, 2014, satisfied the prosecutor's lawsuit and overturned the decision of the Khmilnyk City Council, which demanded condemning the use of weapons and special means on Maidan and withdrawing internal troops from Kyiv.

In addition, the media drew attention to Zhernakov's evasion of mobilization.

On December 14, 2023, Mykhailo Zhernakov was detained by TCC and SP employees in Kyiv and taken to the capital's Shevchenkivskyi District TCC and SP. The reason was a violation of military registration rules for conscripts. Interestingly, Mykhailo Zhernakov did not challenge the actions of the TCC and paid a fine of 5,300 hryvnias on December 20, 2023.

It writes that since 2024, Mykhailo Zhernakov has been appointed to the position of professor at the Department of Civil, Economic, and Financial Law of the Poltava Law Institute of Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University. Mykola Kucherevianko, his stepfather, was the first vice-rector of Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University at that time.

As reported, on August 4, 2025, elections for the fourth composition of the Public Integrity Council took place. The new PIC composition began its work on August 15. According to Article 87 of the Law "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges," the PIC, consisting of 20 members, is formed to assist the High Qualification Commission of Judges in establishing the compliance of a judge (candidate for a judge's position) with the criteria of professional ethics and integrity.