Negative Integrity Conclusion on Stambula Vitalii Mykhailovych: Crimea Connection in Judicial Assessment
🎯 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
Context: This quote shows the PIC treating travel to occupied Crimea and business connections to Crimea-based companies as integrity violations, thereby operationally recognizing Russian jurisdiction over these Ukrainian territories.
⚖️ Why This Is a Violation
📄 Full Details
What Happened#
On July 27, 2025, the Public Integrity Council approved a negative integrity conclusion on Stambula Vitalii Mykhailovych (Стамбула Віталій Михайлович), a candidate for a position at Court of Appeal. The conclusion was adopted by 10 of 17 members.
The PIC flagged the candidate’s business connections to companies partially located in occupied Crimea, his travel to occupied Crimea in 2019, and his commercial ties to individuals who fled to Crimea and collaborate with Russia. By treating these Crimea-related activities as integrity violations, the PIC operationally recognizes Russian jurisdiction over Ukrainian territory.
The Crimea-related element was cited as a direct basis for the negative conclusion.
The Crimea Connection#
The candidate visited temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine without urgent need… On the evening before 02.04.2019, the candidate visited occupied Crimea (single instance) through checkpoints “Chonhar” and “Kalanchak”… In total, the “family group” according to YouControl analytical system includes 26 companies owned or managed by him or his children. Part of the group’s companies are located in occupied Crimea.
This quote shows the PIC treating travel to occupied Crimea and business connections to Crimea-based companies as integrity violations, thereby operationally recognizing Russian jurisdiction over these Ukrainian territories.
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#
| # | Member |
|---|---|
| 1 | Martyna Bohuslavets |
| 2 | Oleksandr Voloshyn |
| 3 | Vitaliy Husak |
| 4 | Anton Zelinskyi |
| 5 | Svitlana Ilnytska |
| 6 | Tetiana Kurmanova |
| 7 | Eduard Myelkykh |
| 8 | Olha Piskunova |
| 9 | Oleg Yakimyak |
| 10 | Liudmyla Yankina |
Verification#
- Official PIC conclusion document dated July 27, 2025, available on the Council’s public website.
- Electronic voting record confirming the vote count and participating members.
🔎 Evidence
- Official Public Integrity Council conclusion on Stambula Vitalii Mykhailovych (Стамбула Віталій Михайлович), dated July 27, 2025. document
- Electronic voting record appended to the conclusion, confirming the vote (10 of 17). document
- Archived copy of Official Public Integrity Council conclusion on Stambula Vitalii Mykhailovych (Стамбула Віталій Михайлович), dated July 27, 2025. archive