The NAAU responded to further manipulations and lies by the notorious Zhernakov and his hand-picked pseudo-organization...

The NAAU responded to further manipulations and lies by the notorious Zhernakov and his hand-picked pseudo-organization “De-jure” regarding NABU searches at the Prosecutor General’s Office

The Committee for the Protection of Lawyers’ Rights and Guarantees of Legal Practice of the NAAU firmly rejects the latest insinuations, manipulations, and outright lies spread by the notorious Zhernakov and his controlled pseudo-organization “De-jure.” Their claims of an alleged attempt by Committee members to “protect allies” during NABU searches at the Office of the Prosecutor General in the “Carthage” case are another attempt to twist facts and discredit the NAAU and lawyer self-governance.

The presence of representatives of the NAAU Committee for the Protection of Lawyers’ Rights during NABU investigative actions at the Office of the Prosecutor General was dictated solely by the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code and the relevant law, not by a desire to “protect allies,” as Zhernakov and his hand-picked NGO are trying to portray.

This position was published on his page by Committee member Bohdan Kushnir, who directly participated in the mentioned investigative actions.

According to him, accusations from Zhernakov and his “De-jure” are not expert criticism but deliberate manipulation, compounded by legal ignorance or intentional distortion of the law. Kushnir emphasized that pursuant to Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Bar and Legal Practice,” investigative bodies are obliged to notify the NAAU or the regional bar council in advance about the need to involve their representative in searches of persons who hold the status of lawyer.

“Investigative bodies are required to send a letter notifying of the need to involve a representative. We must respond to such letters. At the same time, after receiving the notification we do not know who will be subjected to searches, the exact address, or within which criminal proceeding. All of this becomes known only at the start of the operation and when the judge’s ruling is read,” the committee representative explained.

Commenting directly on the searches in the “Carthage” case, Kushnir confirmed that investigative actions were carried out at prosecutor A. Khudiiev’s office and at then-Prosecutor General R. Kravchenko’s office, since both hold the status of lawyer.

Regarding Khudiiev, the NAAU representative noted that he engaged in active legal practice and kept relevant documents at his workplace. At the same time, NABU employees did not violate attorney–client privilege, and documents were not seized.

In the case of Ruslan Kravchenko’s office, the initiative to involve the relevant committee also came from the investigation. “Because there was no clear information on whether Kravchenko would arrive for the investigative action and whether documents containing attorney–client privilege were kept in his office, the detectives decided it was necessary to involve Committee representatives in the search,” Kushnir emphasized, adding that the committee clearly fulfilled the requirements of the law and ensured rights were respected.

At the same time, Bohdan Kushnir drew attention to double standards in the work of the civil sector. He recalled that law enforcement systematically violate lawyers’ rights: they use physical force, break limbs, damage property, and use temporary restraint centers to unlawfully prevent defenders from participating in investigative actions or court hearings.

However, he said, these real threats to the bar institution remain outside the attention of high-profile anti-corruption organizations.

Instead, Zhernakov and his “De-jure” use isolated procedural moments as a mouthpiece to discredit the NAAU. This looks like a targeted campaign of lies, manipulations, and double standards.

The Committee representative urged critics to focus on compliance with the law, not on creating conjecture on social networks.

Zhernakov’s and “De-jure’s” statements are not a fight for lawyers’ rights or for the bar; they are always a manipulative campaign built on twisting facts and outright lies.