Authorities in Dnipro, Ukraine, have arrested three men suspected of attacking a local judge last month. The incident occurred on March 13 in the city’s Sobornyi district, when the judge was assaulted as she exited her vehicle.
According to the police, the assailants fled the scene in a car after inflicting injuries on the judge. The attack is believed to be linked to her professional duties.
In a coordinated operation across the Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions, law enforcement conducted 38 searches at the residences and vehicles of the suspects. The arrested individuals, aged between 33 and 36, have been charged with attempted unlawful deprivation of liberty and threats or violence against a judge, juror, or lay judge. The court will decide on the preventive measures, which may include pre-trial detention.
Police are continuing their investigation to identify any additional participants in the crime and potential masterminds behind the attack.
The attack on the judge, who serves in the Industrial District Court of Dnipro, was reported to be particularly severe. Three masked individuals, traveling in a vehicle without license plates, assaulted her near her home, causing serious head injuries and using pepper spray. The judge’s husband intervened in the attempted abduction. She was hospitalized and remains in serious condition.
The Council of Judges of Ukraine has stated that this incident may represent the first attack of its kind since the onset of the full-scale war in Ukraine. They have urged government bodies to reconsider the accessibility of judges’ personal information in public registries.
Police have apprehended three suspects involved in the assault on a judge in Dnipro, which occurred last month. The attack, linked to the judge's professional role, has raised concerns about the safety of judicial officials in Ukraine.