Today, a hearing was held at the Oleksandrivskyi District Court in Zaporizhzhia to consider Judge Viktoria Svitlytska’s motion to recuse herself from the case of Dmytro Ryumshyn.
The judge publicly acknowledged that she has a long-standing friendly relationship with the first deputy head of the Donetsk Specialized Prosecutor’s Office, who was overseeing the proceedings in this case. An honest move. But there is one significant
“but” that points to a profound inconsistency.
“but” that points to a profound inconsistency.On February 9, 2026, Judge Svitlytska held a preliminary hearing and issued a ruling to extend the preventive measure against Dmytro Ryumshyn (imposed obligations).
On February 17, 2026, the judge “recalled” her friendship with the prosecutor and filed a motion to recuse herself, citing doubts about her own objectivity.
At the time the decision to extend the conditions was made, the judge was fully aware of the circumstances that precluded her participation in the case, as she had been familiarized with the case file, the indictment, and the procedural decisions of the prosecutor she knew.
And if these circumstances suddenly became “known” to her only a week later, this only confirms that the decision to extend her duties was made without objectivity and without a proper assessment of the case materials.
The defense has already filed a complaint with the Zaporizhzhia Court of Appeals challenging the ruling of February 9, 2026, regarding the extension of Ryumshina’s duties, since a court decision is subject to reversal in any case if it was rendered by an unlawful panel of judges.
The judge’s request for recusal was denied today. However, the most important step has already been taken—the judge herself has stated that she lacks objectivity, and this has been recorded in the case file.
Author: Andriy Yosipov, Attorney and Partner at Barristers
Source: Barristers Facebook