Negative Integrity Conclusion on Bilonozhenко Maryna Anatoliivna: Crimea Connection in Judicial Assessment

What Happened#

On May 5, 2025, the Public Integrity Council approved a negative integrity conclusion on Bilonozhenко Maryna Anatoliivna (Білоноженко Марина Анатоліївна), a candidate for a position at Administrative Court of Appeal. The conclusion was adopted by 15 of 18 members.

The PIC treated the candidate’s husband’s 10% ownership of a land plot in occupied Crimea as an integrity risk requiring explanation. By flagging property ownership in Crimea as problematic and requiring justification, the PIC implicitly recognizes Russian jurisdiction over the peninsula, contradicting Ukraine’s constitutional position that Crimea remains Ukrainian territory.

The Crimea-related element was flagged as a concern but was not cited as the primary basis for the negative conclusion.

The Crimea Connection#

From the annual declarations submitted by the candidate of a person authorized to perform state or local government functions, it appears that the candidate’s husband, from 12.06.2013, owns 10% of a land plot located in temporarily occupied Crimea.

This statement demonstrates the PIC’’s implicit recognition of Russian jurisdiction by treating pre-occupation property ownership in Crimea as requiring explanation and justification, rather than affirming it as legitimate Ukrainian property rights.

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.

Voters#

Verification#

• Official PIC conclusion document dated May 5, 2025, available on the Council’s public website.
• Electronic voting record confirming the vote count and participating members.