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Ukrainian court blocks publication of investigative report 

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Ukrainian court blocks publication of investigative report 

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New York, July 9, 2026—CPJ is concerned about a Ukrainian court’s decision to ban the publication of a journalistic investigation into the assets and business activities of the brother of a high-ranking Ukrainian official, in what appears to be an unprecedented move.

On July 6, a court in Kyiv, the capital, issued an order prohibiting the Ukrainian investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info, the Ukrainian nongovernmental organization Anti-Corruption Action Centre (AntAC), and AntAC journalist Alina Stryzhak from publishing a joint, months-long investigation into real estate allegedly owned by Oleksandr Sukhachov, the brother of Oleksii Sukhachov, the director of Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the agency responsible for investigating crimes committed by public officials. The investigation was scheduled to be published the week of July 13, Slidstvo.Info founder and editor Anna Babinets told CPJ.

“The court’s pre-publication ban on an investigation by Slidstvo.Info and AntAC, imposed in what appears to be an unprecedented legal maneuver, could have serious implications for press freedom in Ukraine,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Investigative journalists perform an essential public service by uncovering and reporting on issues of significant public interest. They should be able to carry out this work without unjustified restrictions that undermine the public’s right to know.”

The court granted an injunction request filed by Parkovyi-2 LLC, a company reportedly linked to Oleksandr Sukhachovthat Stryzhak had contacted on July 24 to seek comment for the investigation. The judge found that publication could allegedly cause irreparable harm and disclose trade secrets, according to Slidstvo.Info. Under Ukrainian law, the company has 10 days from July 6 to file a lawsuit.

In a comment to Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, the court said the ban was “temporary.” 

A temporary injunction is generally used to freeze assets or preserve evidence while legal proceedings are underway, not to prevent the publication of a report, according to English-language media outlet Euromaidan Press. 

Both Slidstvo.Info and AntAC denounced the ruling and are planning to appeal the order. Babinets told CPJ that this was the first time a court has blocked an as-yet unpublished piece of journalism in Ukraine.

“We are convinced that AntAC and Slidstvo.Info are now simply being used to test a mechanism for preventing journalists from exposing corruption,” AntAC’s executive director Daria Kaleniuk said in a statement.

Several Ukrainian and foreign investigative journalists have faced surveillance, threats, violence, and harassment over their work since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country. In a December 2024 letter to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, CPJ pointed to a pattern of a lack of accountability in such cases.

CPJ emailed the SBI and Parkovyi-2 LLC, but did not immediately receive a reply. CPJ could not find contact information for Oleksandr Sukhachov.

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