National Police punished patrol officers for beating an advocate and referred the case to the SBI

The beating of an advocate by police officers in Odesa this summer received an appropriate response: following an appeal by the UNBA, the regional patrol police department conducted an internal investigation, identified those responsible, imposed disciplinary sanctions on them, and forwarded the materials to the State Bureau of Investigations.

On June 23, 2025, in Odesa, advocate Andriy Smirnov responded to a call from his client, who had been stopped in the middle of the street by patrol officers along with his one-month-old baby. However, he was unable to provide legal assistance — one of the law enforcement officers demanded that he immediately cease communication. Smirnov's explanation that he was conducting lawful advocate activities had no effect—the police officer threatened to arrest him, grabbed the advocate by the arms, and repeated: «I have the right to touch you».

When Smirnov asked to see the advocate's documents, the police officer handcuffed him without explaining the grounds for the arrest. According to the advocate, although he did not resist, he was beaten on the legs, his arms were twisted behind his back, and he was pressed against a car. At the same time, he was insulted with phrases such as «you are nobody» and «you will lose your license». All this was witnessed by another advocate, who was forbidden to record the events and ordered to leave.

At the police station, A. Smirnov remained in handcuffs despite his deteriorating condition. The ambulance doctors who arrived were unable to examine him because the police refused to even temporarily remove his handcuffs. According to the advocate, he was pushed, beaten on the chest, and prevented from using the phone or informing the regional bar association. The next day, doctors diagnosed him with a chest contusion, hematomas, and bruises.

After the incident, which was widely reported in the media, the advocate appealed to the Ukrainian National Bar Association. In his statement, he asked for assistance and for the measures provided for by law to be taken to protect his violated rights.

After investigating the circumstances, the Committee for the protection of advocates' rights and guarantees of legal practice of the UNBA appealed to the leadership of the patrol police of the Odesa region. The letter emphasized the inadmissibility of any pressure on advocates while providing legal assistance and demanded that an official investigation be launched. In addition, the Committee requested that explanatory work be carried out among police personnel to prevent similar cases in the future.

The police conducted an official investigation and confirmed the fact of disciplinary misconduct on the part of their employees. Some of the police officers were warned about the need to maintain discipline, and the main offender, sergeant Vadym Chukhn received a severe reprimand.

The materials on the possible infliction of bodily harm on the advocate were also forwarded to the State Bureau of Investigations for a legal assessment of the actions of law enforcement officers.