Negative Integrity Conclusion on Kuznetsov Roman Oleksandrovych: 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 demonstrates the PIC's implicit recognition of Russian jurisdiction by treating crossings into occupied Ukrainian territory as integrity violations equivalent to unauthorized contact with a foreign state.
⚖️ Why This Is a Violation
📄 Full Details
What Happened#
On December 29, 2025, the Public Integrity Council approved a negative integrity conclusion on Kuznetsov Roman Oleksandrovych (Кузнецов Роман Олександрович), a candidate for a position at Central-City District Court of Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The conclusion was adopted by 13 of 19 members.
The PIC treated the candidate’s three post-occupation crossings of the administrative border with temporarily occupied Crimea, combined with his close family members remaining in Sevastopol, as integrity risks warranting a negative conclusion. By classifying these connections to Ukrainian territory under occupation as equivalent to risks from the Russian Federation, the PIC operationally recognized Russian jurisdiction over Crimea.
The Crimea-related element was cited as a direct basis for the negative conclusion.
The Crimea Connection#
The Candidate crossed the administrative border with the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea at least three times after the start of occupation: KPVV ‘Kalanchak’: 12.08.2018 (exit) – 20.08.2018 (entry); KPVV ‘Chaplynka’: 24.10.2019 (exit) – 26.10.2019 (entry); KPVV ‘Kalanchak’: 19.08.2021 (exit) – 26.08.2021 (entry).
This quote demonstrates the PIC’’s implicit recognition of Russian jurisdiction by treating crossings into occupied Ukrainian territory as integrity violations equivalent to unauthorized contact with a foreign state.
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 December 29, 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 Kuznetsov Roman Oleksandrovych (Кузнецов Роман Олександрович), dated December 29, 2025. document
- Electronic voting record confirming Yuliia Oleshchenko's participation (13 of 19). document
- Archived copy of Official Public Integrity Council conclusion on Kuznetsov Roman Oleksandrovych (Кузнецов Роман Олександрович), dated December 29, 2025. archive