On January 22, 2026, HACC’s press service reported that one of its judges had informed the High Council of Justice and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine about pressure being exerted on him. From the context of the statement, it appears to concern Judge Vitalii Dubas.

The report says that interference came from a number of MPs during the January 19 hearing on the seizure of assets belonging to an MP and her husband. Most likely, this refers to the hearing in Yuliia Tymoshenko’s case, attended by MPs who came to support her in court.

When the court was deciding whether to hold the hearing behind closed doors, one of the MPs present began shouting insults and threats at the investigating judge. Even a warning about the inadmissibility of such behaviour and the potential administrative liability did not stop him.

The judge ordered a closed hearing and asked everyone except the parties to the proceedings to leave the courtroom. However, a number of MPs refused and began threatening both the judge and a NABU detective. 

Even after the hearing was moved to another courtroom, the same individuals started pushing court security officers and forced their way inside. In effect, they disrupted a hearing that was supposed to be closed. The review had to be postponed until the next day. 

All of this was also captured on the hearing’s broadcast.

The investigating judge perceived these actions as pressure and asked the competent authorities to respond by holding those responsible accountable.

It is also worth noting that Transparency International Ukraine previously drew attention to the conduct of Tymoshenko’s support group. Attempts to turn criminal proceedings into a political show only underscore the importance of independent anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine.