The SBI has completed the investigation of the explosions in the Shevchenkivsky district Court of Kyiv in July 2023

The SBI employees have completed the pre-trial investigation of criminal proceeding of the explosions the Shevchenkivsky district Court of Kyiv in July 2023. The indictments against 6 employees of the State Institution «Kyiv Pre-trial Detention Center» have been sent to the court.

The investigation has established the second-by-second chronology of events that took place on the 05th of July 2023 in the convoy room of the Shevchenkivsky district Court of Kyiv as the improvised explosive devices detonated. The explosion was carried out by defendant, who was detained in the State Institution «Kyiv Pre-trial Detention Center». Because of explosion the defendant died, two employees of the special forces of the National Police of Ukraine were injured, and it also caused significant damages to the premises and properties of the court.

It was found that defendant managed to smuggle the improvised explosive devices to the courtroom due to official negligence of prison officials and convoy service. In particular, the employees of the State Institution «Kyiv Pre-trial Detention Center» took him out of the cell and led him to the building where his transfer to the convoy service of the National Guard was carried out without any search of things, including his backpack. The officials of the convoy service did not conduct any personal search nor check of his personal belongings. They were not even surprised by the fact that at a temperature of +28, the person they were convoying from the detention center to the court was wearing a warm sweater.

Also, during searches of the cell where the defendant was held, law enforcement officers have seized glycerin, rosin, electrical wires and other chemicals, some of which, according to the expert research, were part of the improvised explosive devices that detonated in the court.

The investigators found that the prohibited things were in the cell due to the improper performance of the official duties by the employees of the detention center. In particular, three employees of the pre-trial detention center for a long time have falsified mandatory acts of the searches of prison cells, and in fact they haven’t carried out any inspections. Therefore, the detainees had the opportunity to use prohibited things and objects that were given to them from the outside in various ways.

Three employees of the State Institution «Kyiv Pre-trial Detention Center» are accused of official negligence that caused serious consequences (Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the Article provides for imprisonment for up to 5 years.

Also, three more employees of the detention center are accused of official forgery (Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The sanction of the Article provides for imprisonment for up to 3 years.

It should be reminded, that in December 2023, the court found guilty 2 employees of the convoy service of the National Guard of Ukraine and sentenced them to the arrest with detention in a disciplinary battalion for military personnel for a period of 2 and 6 months.

The procedural guidance is provided by Central region Specialized prosecutor’s Office in the field of Defense.