New developments in the Shabunin case: what is known ahead of the hearing
Ahead of the preliminary hearing in the case of Vitaliy Shabunin in Kyiv, allegations have emerged regarding possible pressure being exerted on the court. Activists from the “Honest Mobilization” movement claim that some of his supporters are allegedly attempting to influence the proceedings. The situation is marked by mutual accusations between the parties, and the case against Shabunin remains one of the most high-profile in the judicial sphere.
On April 17, a preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place at the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv in the criminal proceedings against Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center. He is accused of fraud and evading military service.
This was stated by Oleksiy “Stalker,” an activist with the “Honest Mobilization” movement and a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war. According to him, there are allegedly ongoing attempts to influence the judicial process surrounding the case. “The prosecutor sent the indictment against Shabunin to the court back in 2025. But all this time, they have been trying to stall the case,” he said, adding that this involves pressure on judges and information campaigns.
Separately, he claims that some of the people supporting Shabunin allegedly use various mechanisms to defer or postpone their mobilization.
In his statement, he also mentioned specific representatives of the media and the civil society sector, accusing them of various violations; however, these claims are not independently corroborated in the article. The “Honest Mobilization” movement claims that, in its view, Shabunin’s case has been dragged out for years, and that the defendant himself allegedly received payments as a military servicemember while residing in Kyiv.
According to law enforcement agencies, as previously reported, Shabunin is charged with fraud and evasion of military service, and the maximum penalty if found guilty could be up to 10 years in prison. The trial is currently ongoing, and all parties are preparing for the hearing.
As a reminder, the Pecherskyi District Court has once again extended Shabunin’s pretrial measure in the form of a personal commitment.
Shabunin noted that he does not intend to flee the investigation, contrary to what the prosecution claims.
On July 11, SBI officials notified Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, of their suspicion that he evaded military service and used a vehicle designated for the Armed Forces of Ukraine without authorization.
