Wiretapping of lawyers: criminal case initiated against NABU detectives on three charges
The Prosecutor General's Office has launched a criminal investigation of the intrusion into lawyers' offices, illegal wiretapping, and abuse of power by NABU and SAPO officials, UNN reports.
According to the investigation, on December 18-19, 2023, NABU detectives entered a lawyer’s premises without proper legal grounds and conducted seven searches.
Sources indicate that these actions targeted lawyer Dmytro Borzykh, in whose office illegal surveillance equipment was allegedly installed by NABU.
The detectives face charges of abuse of power (Part 1, Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and obstruction of a defense attorney’s activities, including violation of attorney-client privilege (Part 2, Article 397 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
"These actions by law enforcement officers clearly exceeded their legal powers and caused significant harm to the legally protected rights of citizens and legal entities. The investigation found that NABU and SAPO officials used their positions to interfere in lawyers’ activities, including the illegal installation of listening devices to covertly monitor attorney-client communications", – the report states.
Context:
On April 1, the National Bar Association of Ukraine submitted a formal complaint to the Prosecutor General’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation, accusing NABU detectives of illegally installing wiretapping devices in the offices of lawyers in Kyiv. According to journalists, the surveillance equipment was placed in a meeting room where lawyers discussed defense strategies with their clients. Notably, the clients whose conversations were recorded were under investigation by NABU itself.