The High Anti-Corruption Court approved a plea agreement between former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniaziev and a prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, sentencing him to five years of actual imprisonment and ordering the confiscation of his apartment, house, and USD 200,000 in savings.
It was reported by the NABU, according to the Ukrainian News agency.
On June 8, 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court approved the plea agreement. Kniaziev was charged in May 2023 with receiving an illegal benefit on an especially large scale. Kniaziev fully admitted his guilt in the crime he was charged with, agreed to provide incriminating testimony against his accomplices, and accepted a prison sentence with confiscation of property.
By the High Anti-Corruption Court’s verdict, the former head of the Supreme Court was found guilty of committing a crime under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He was sentenced to five years of actual imprisonment with a three-year ban on holding positions in judicial and law enforcement bodies. His apartment and house, as well as over USD 200,000 in personal savings, were confiscated.
In addition, USD 1,248,700, which was the subject of unlawful gain, was subject to special confiscation. By agreement of the parties, the former head of the Supreme Court will direct an additional USD 1,104,600 to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the “Come Back Alive” Charitable Foundation.
"We emphasize that a plea agreement is a real and effective mechanism for achieving justice. It is not a bribe or a way to avoid responsibility, as society sometimes mistakenly believes, but a conscious step toward a pragmatic balance of the interests of the state and justice. This tool transforms the criminal process into an effective system through which the state quickly achieves concrete results. The case involving the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court clearly demonstrates that plea agreements are not a theoretical construct but an unavoidable necessity for a country at war. The state simply has no right to waste precious time and scarce resources on endless trials," the NABU noted.
The trial on the merits of this case began in August 2024. The plea agreement put an end to this protracted process: Knyazev officially admitted his guilt, his guilt was proven, and he received a real punishment.
In addition, thanks to the agreement, the country’s budget was replenished by USD 2,554,300. That is over UAH 113 million.
"Today, as the country fights for its survival, these funds are being converted into real weapons, drones, or funding for social benefits. The agreement is not a pardon. It is a deliberate step that ensures the fundamental principle of justice — the inevitability of punishment here and now," the NABU added.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Kniaziev was accused of receiving nearly USD 3 million in bribes from associates of businessman and former Verkhovna Rada deputy Zhevaho, who is wanted internationally, in exchange for decisions in his favor.
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