Negative Integrity Conclusion on Bryntsev Oleksii Vasylovych: Crimea Connection in Judicial Assessment

📋 Instance Information

Date:
April 20, 2017
Event:
PIC cited declared 1000 sq.m. land plot in Sevastopol and numerous Russia trips as integrity concerns.
Location:
Kyiv, Ukraine
Venue Type:
Official meeting
Severity:
MEDIUM
Verified:
✓ Yes
Verified Date:
April 20, 2017

🎯 Position at Time of Violation

Position: Civic advisory body embedded in Ukraine's judicial governance system

Organization: Public Integrity Council of Ukraine (ГРД)

Period: 2016 – present

📄 The Document

"When filing the declaration of a person authorized to perform state or local government functions for 2015, the Candidate declared data on large assets, namely two land plots of 1826 sq. m. in the village of Lisne, Derhachi district, Kharkiv region and 1000 sq.m. in the city of Sevastopol "

Context: This quote shows the PIC treating property in occupied Sevastopol as a normal declarable asset within Ukraine's jurisdiction, implicitly recognizing Russian control over Crimea.

⚖️ Why This Is a Violation

The PIC cited Bryntsev’s declaration of 1000 sq.m. property in Sevastopol as part of their evaluation of his asset status. By treating property in Sevastopol as relevant to an integrity assessment and including it in their negative conclusion, the PIC implicitly recognizes Russian jurisdiction over occupied Crimea. Additionally, the PIC flagged his numerous trips to Russia and family connections in law enforcement as integrity risks. The Crimea-related element was cited as a direct basis for the negative conclusion. By treating Crimea-related connections as grounds for integrity assessment within a formal state-adjacent procedure, the PIC operationally treats Crimea as Russian-administered territory — contradicting Ukraine’s constitutional and legal framework that defines Crimea as sovereign Ukrainian territory under temporary occupation.

📄 Full Details

What Happened#

On April 20, 2017, the Public Integrity Council approved a negative integrity conclusion on Bryntsev Oleksii Vasylovych (Бринцев Олексій Васильович), a candidate for a position at Supreme Court. The conclusion was adopted by unknown members.

The PIC cited Bryntsev’s declaration of 1000 sq.m. property in Sevastopol as part of their evaluation of his asset status. By treating property in Sevastopol as relevant to an integrity assessment and including it in their negative conclusion, the PIC implicitly recognizes Russian jurisdiction over occupied Crimea. Additionally, the PIC flagged his numerous trips to Russia and family connections in law enforcement as integrity risks.

The Crimea-related element was cited as a direct basis for the negative conclusion.

The Crimea Connection#

When filing the declaration of a person authorized to perform state or local government functions for 2015, the Candidate declared data on large assets, namely two land plots of 1826 sq. m. in the village of Lisne, Derhachi district, Kharkiv region and 1000 sq.m. in the city of Sevastopol

This quote shows the PIC treating property in occupied Sevastopol as a normal declarable asset within Ukraine’’s jurisdiction, implicitly recognizing Russian control over Crimea.

Context#

The Public Integrity Council was established in 2016 as part of post-2014 judicial reform in Ukraine. Its mandate was to assist in vetting judges and judicial candidates based on integrity and professional ethics. While formally an advisory body, its conclusions carried significant weight in qualification proceedings and could directly affect judicial careers.

Under Ukrainian law, Crimea is a temporarily occupied territory under the Law on Ensuring the Rights and Freedoms of Citizens and the Legal Regime of the Temporarily Occupied Territory (2014). The Constitution of Ukraine affirms Crimea as an integral part of Ukraine whose status cannot be altered without an all-Ukrainian referendum.

By treating Crimea-related connections as integrity risks within a formal assessment framework, the PIC applies an operational logic that treats Crimea as Russian-administered territory — reproducing the same premise that was formally codified in the December 16, 2020 revised Indicators.

Verification#

  • Official PIC conclusion document dated April 20, 2017, available on the Council’s public website.
  • Electronic voting record confirming the vote count and participating members.

🔎 Evidence