The High Council of Justice recommended the dismissal of Judge Gryshchenko, who fled Ukraine

The Third Disciplinary Chamber of the High Council of Justice recommends dismissing Yevhen Hryschenko, a judge of the Donetsk District Administrative Court, for willful evasion of the administration of justice. The official has effectively removed himself from his duties since March 2022, continuously taking various types of leave, and in 2023, he left under the pretext of a business trip to Poland and has not returned to Ukraine. 

Currently, Hryshchenko and his family reside in Germany, where they rent an apartment, and his most recent court decisions date back to July 21, 2023.

The judge himself explained his prolonged absence first by the evacuation of numerous relatives, then by pursuing a Ph.D. in graduate school, and later by a deterioration in his health due to a diagnosed illness, which forced him to take unpaid leave for treatment. However, the investigation found that medical certificates of incapacity for work began arriving at the court only in October 2025, when there was a real threat of disciplinary proceedings being initiated. At the same time, data from the Pension Fund of Ukraine’s web portal did not confirm the official issuance of sick leave certificates in the judge’s name, which is why his workplace stopped processing his leave requests and began recording his absences as unexplained.

The Disciplinary Chamber concluded that Hryshchenko’s actions constituted a deliberate attempt to remain abroad at any cost. This demonstrates a complete lack of respect for colleagues, as the workload at the Donetsk Regional Administrative Court has tripled in recent years, and the employee’s absence for over two years has significantly complicated the institution’s operations. The court’s leadership had previously approved leave requests without issue, and the current chair attempted to persuade her colleague to return via telephone in October 2025. Although the court provided Hryshchenko with a positive evaluation as an experienced professional, the final decision on his dismissal is expected to be made in the near future by the High Council of Justice.