Instead of their own laptops—detention center computers: The National Association of Ukrainian Lawyers (NAAU) has strongly condemned the Ministry of Justice’s ban on restrictions regarding the use of electronic devices
A new conflict over procedural rights is unfolding in Ukraine: officials have imposed restrictions on lawyers’ use of their own computer equipment in pretrial detention centers, jeopardizing the confidentiality of the defense and violating fundamental human rights.
This is stated in a press release published on the website of the National Bar Association of Ukraine.
The basis for the professional community’s strong reaction was an order from the Ministry of Justice (No. 1209/5), which amends the internal regulations of pretrial detention centers. Under the new regulations, during the period of martial law, lawyers working with suspects in crimes against national security are prohibited from bringing their own devices into detention facilities. Instead, defense attorneys are being offered the use of computers owned by the penitentiary system itself.
The Ukrainian Bar Association convened an extraordinary meeting to assess these changes. Experts analyzed the document and deemed this move a direct violation of fundamental guarantees of professional practice.
"Security measures in correctional facilities are a legitimate goal of the state, but it cannot be achieved by destroying attorney-client privilege, interfering with communication with clients, and artificially restricting the right to defense," the UBA’s statement notes.
Modern criminal practice is inextricably linked to access to electronic case materials, legal databases, and analytical tools. The mandatory use of “state-issued” technology not only significantly slows down lawyers’ work but also creates critical risks of defense strategy leaks and third-party access to confidential information. Moreover, this approach creates discriminatory conditions for a specific category of suspects, which directly violates Articles 59 and 64 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which guarantee the unimpeded right to legal assistance even under martial law.
The Bar Association appeals to the Cabinet of Ministers, parliamentary committees, the Office of the Prosecutor General, and the Ombudsman, demanding a proper assessment of the Ministry of Justice’s actions. The Bar Association insists on the immediate lifting of restrictions that reduce the right to defense to a mere formality, and on the restoration of the procedure for using one’s own equipment under closed-door proceedings.
As a reminder, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) opened a case regarding the mistreatment of a TCC employee at the Odesa Pretrial Detention Center.
The management of the Odesa Pretrial Detention Center was suspended following a video showing the abuse of a suspected TCC employee.
In Zaporizhzhia, an FSB agent planned to escape from the detention center using a Russian drone.
