Nestor Shufrich may be released from pretrial detention: will anyone pay the 33 million hryvnia bail?
8 January 14:58
The Kyiv Court of Appeals has allowed MP Nestor Shufrich, who is suspected of treason, to be released from pretrial detention on bail of over 33 million hryvnia. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Telegraf.
“There is a ruling by the Kyiv Court of Appeals dated January 6. Indeed, a decision was made to replace the preventive measure of detention with an alternative of bail in the amount of 33 million 280 thousand hryvnia. When the client pays this money, he has the right to be released on bail,” the lawyer confirmed.
According to Karpenko, Shufrich’s defense team does not yet know when the bail will be paid or whether it will be paid at all.
“This happened on Tuesday, and the amount is not small,” the lawyer added.
In turn, the MP’s son, Oleksandr Shufrich, told the publication that he is currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and performing tasks in the combat zone, so he is unable to attend his father’s court hearings.
However, Oleksandr Shufrich has no doubt that bail will be posted for his father.
“I am more than confident that if the decision has been made and it has entered into legal force, then, of course, my father has enough people who were ready to vouch for him, even before this decision. His party colleagues vouched for him, among them are declared dollar millionaires. And if they show political solidarity, they will probably pay bail for him. Yes, I think he would do the same for them. My father has always tried to stand up for his colleagues,” Oleksandr Shufrich explained to Telegraf.
According to the son of the well-known politician, his father has been held in a pre-trial detention center for too long.
What Shufrich is accused of
Shufrich was detained on suspicion of high treason on September 15, 2023. On that same day, the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv ruled to take him into custody. Lawyers filed complaints on September 18 and November 14, but the Kyiv Court of Appeals considered them with a noticeable delay — on October 11 and December 12, respectively.
The ECHR emphasized that such slowness in consideration violates the right to “immediate review of the legality of detention.” In its decision, the court referred to the previous case of “Kharchenko v. Ukraine,” in which similar violations had already been recorded.
In addition to complaints about the delay in consideration, Shufrich also claimed a violation of Article 3 of the Convention (prohibition of torture). However, the ECHR found these complaints inadmissible — or lacking evidence of a violation.
The European Court of Human Rights ordered Ukraine to pay MP Nestor Shufrich €750 in compensation — €500 for moral damage and another €250 for legal costs. The reason was the Ukrainian courts’ delay in considering complaints about his arrest in 2023.
What is known about Nestor Shufrich
Nestor Ivanovich Shufrich is a Ukrainian politician who has been a member of parliament for the Party of Regions, the Opposition Bloc, and the Opposition Platform — For Life. He was born in 1966 in Uzhhorod. Known for his pro-Russian statements, he has often been involved in political and media conflicts.
In 2006–2007, he served as Minister of Emergency Situations in Viktor Yanukovych’s government. Since the 2010s, he has become one of the most recognizable representatives of the pro-Russian opposition in the media.
According to his 2020 electronic declaration, Shufrich declared over $4 million and €3.7 million in cash, as well as nine apartments, two houses, a collection of antiques, weapons, icons, and works of art. In 2023, Forbes Ukraine estimated his fortune at approximately $100 million.
In September 2023, Shufrich was arrested on suspicion of treason. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, the politician collaborated with Russian special services. He has been in custody ever since, and Ukrainian courts regularly extend his arrest.
