Oleksiy Shevchuk, an attorney and partner at Barristers Law Firm, announced that during a meeting of the selection committee for Ukraine’s candidate to the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture, he decided to withdraw his candidacy in favor of Judge Oleksandra Yanovska, who is also participating in the selection process.

In addition, according to Oleksiy Shevchuk, during the commission’s meeting, participants noted that the deadline for submitting nominations to the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture—July 1—had already passed, meaning that Ukraine’s nomination will effectively not be able to be properly considered.

He also noted that the candidates expressed surprise at the fact that nearly three months had been lost in the selection process, since the terms of two-thirds of the Subcommittee’s members expire on October 1.

Separately, Oleksiy Shevchuk pointed out that the need to adhere to the principle of gender balance—which is a mandatory requirement—was not taken into account during the selection of candidates.