Yermak spoke about a cell in the detention center that cost 10,000 hryvnias
Andriy Yermak, the former head of the Office of the President, described how he spent several days in a pretrial detention center following the court’s decision to remand him in custody. According to him, his lawyer paid for a cell with improved conditions, where he was held alone.
Yermak also said that he read books in the detention center and did not expect the court to choose this particular preventive measure. While speaking with journalists at the court, Andriy Yermak spoke in detail for the first time about his stay in the detention center. The former head of the Office of the President stated that the decision to arrest him came as a surprise.
According to Yermak, after he was placed in the detention center, his lawyer, Ihor Fomin, paid for a private cell with improved conditions. The cost was 10,000 hryvnias. “My lawyer had the opportunity to pay for it, and I ended up where I ended up,” Yermak told reporters.
He clarified that he was alone in the cell. The politician did not specify exactly how much time he spent in such conditions, but noted that he was in the detention center for several days.
Yermak also described what he did while in custody. He said he read a lot. Among the books he brought with him or received at the detention center was a book by an American author about Donald Trump’s victory during his first presidential campaign in the U.S. “I read books, tried to keep my composure,” the former official said.
Yermak’s appearance in court drew significant interest from journalists. Media representatives gathered outside the courtroom, asking questions not only about the case but also about the conditions of his stay in the detention center.
The issue of paid cells in pretrial detention centers has been a topic of debate in Ukraine for several years. Formally, such a service is officially permitted—for an additional fee, people can receive better conditions: fewer people in the cell, renovations, a private bathroom, or household appliances.
At the same time, human rights activists have repeatedly pointed out that the difference between standard and paid cells is often very significant, and the system itself creates unequal conditions for detainees.
Yermak himself did not comment in detail on the conditions in the detention center. However, he emphasized that the biggest shock for him was the court’s decision to arrest him. “I did not expect this decision,” he said.
The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court reviewed the appeal against the pretrial detention measure imposed on former Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak. Following the review, the court upheld the decision. Yermak had challenged the pretrial detention measure previously imposed on him.
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