Lawyers uncertain April 3 court session on Poroshenko sanctions will proceed, warn against pressuring judges

The Supreme Court session scheduled for April 3, where a ruling is expected on the lawsuit filed by MP and European Solidarity party leader Petro Poroshenko regarding sanctions imposed against him, may not take place due to deliberate delays in the judicial process, the politician's lawyers believe.

"Unfortunately, regarding the session scheduled for April 3, we are not convinced it will happen. Observing our opponents' tactics, we are certain something will occur. We don’t know what yet—someone will fall ill, there will be an air raid siren, or the power will go out. I would like to be wrong, but we are not in a position to simply hope for the best. We are appealing publicly for the session to proceed on April 3," stated Poroshenko’s lawyer, Ihor Holovan.

He believes that representatives of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who enacted the sanctions 14 years ago, "understand their position is losing and that the imposition of sanctions was illegal, so their only option is to drag out the process."

The politician's defense warned against pressuring the court in this regard.

"We fear there may be actual pressure on the judges. The situation is not just about delaying the process to avoid losing; actual pressure may be occurring. A key indicator for us will be whether the proceedings are moved again from the main hall—which accommodates observers, press, and diplomats—to a small room that cannot physically hold everyone. If we hear again that 'valid' reasons exist for an adjournment or postponement, society and the media will view such claims critically," emphasized lawyer Ilya Novikov.

He also reported that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has accepted Poroshenko's lawsuit for consideration. "This means the case as a whole is already under review by the ECHR, implying increased attention to our situation," the lawyer stressed.

As reported, on February 13, 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on the NSDC decision of February 12 "On the Application of Personal Special Economic and Other Restrictive Measures (Sanctions)." According to the annex, sanctions were imposed against five individuals: Poroshenko, Ihor Kolomoisky, former owner of Finance and Credit Bank Kostiantyn Zhevaho, former PrivatBank co-owner Hennadiy Boholiubov, and former MP Viktor Medvedchuk.

Poroshenko challenged the sanctions in the Supreme Court. On April 17, the court began considering the lawsuit in the presence of Ukrainian MPs, as well as diplomats from the EU mission and representatives from the embassies of Germany, Poland, Austria, Sweden, Lithuania, and Denmark. Poroshenko's representatives emphasize that the sanctions were imposed illegally on a Ukrainian citizen residing in the country, noting that only Russia considers him a "terrorist." Therefore, they argue there are no legal grounds for the sanctions.