A HACC panel granted the defense’s motion and relieved Yurii Zontov of criminal liability under Article 366-2(2) of the Criminal Code because the statute of limitations had expired. The court also moved on to questioning Zontov today.

Zontov’s lawyers argued that the five-year limitation period set by law had elapsed since the alleged offense:

• the official filed his annual declaration on March 30, 2021;
• Zontov was detained on April 6, 2021;
• the deadline for prosecution under this article expired on April 6, 2026.

The prosecutor did not object to closing the proceedings but noted that the defense must confirm Zontov has no other criminal record.

Although Zontov has been relieved of liability for false declaration, he remains charged under Articles 190(4) and 369(3) of the Criminal Code.

Background: In April 2021, the NABU and the SAPO exposed lawyers Yurii Donets and Yurii Zontov inciting an insurance company representative to hand over a $100,000 bribe. The money was allegedly meant for a judge of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv in exchange for the desired ruling.

Donets and Zontov were initially tried together. Later, however, Zontov enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The materials concerning him were severed into a separate case, and the proceedings were suspended. The trial resumed in September 2026.

The HACC has already completed the trial of Yurii Donets, convicting him in June 2026. His actions were requalified as trading in influence, and he was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment. The judges, however, released Donets from serving the sentence because the statute of limitations had expired. The case is now before the HACC Appeals Chamber, where both sides are appealing the verdict.

Draft Law No. 13284, which addresses defendants in criminal proceedings who get mobilized, was registered in the Verkhovna Rada back in May 2025. Its main goal is to close a loophole for top corrupt officials who seek to avoid a verdict by getting mobilized. In particular, it proposes pausing the limitation period for as long as a trial is suspended due to mobilization. Since its registration in May 2025, however, the bill has effectively been blocked in parliament.