PRESS RELEASE : In the presence of the Head of State, the Parliament approved the appointment of Andriy Kostin as the Prosecutor General

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 27 July 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada, during which the parliament endorsed the resolution initiated by the Head of State on granting consent to the appointment of Andriy Kostin to the position of Prosecutor General. 299 people’s deputies voted for the document.

During his speech in the Verkhovna Rada, Andriy Kostin emphasized that in times of full-scale Russian invasion, it is necessary to ensure the inevitability of punishment for every war criminal, representatives of the political and military leadership of Russia.

“We must stop the terror and genocide of the Ukrainian nation. First of all, proper recording and documentation of the aggressor’s crimes will contribute to this. And the evidence should be collected in such a way that all of them are recognized as admissible in court,” he said.

Andriy Kostin noted that prosecutors should urgently ensure proper procedural guidance in all such proceedings.

The candidate for the post of Prosecutor General also emphasized the importance of ensuring proper international cooperation, in particular with the International Criminal Court.

According to Andriy Kostin, it is necessary to bring to justice those who cooperated with the enemy. In particular, this applies to corrupt law enforcers.

He drew attention to the urgent appointment of the Head of the Specialized Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, whose candidacy was determined based on the results of the competitive selection.

Andriy Kostin also supports the President’s position regarding the earliest possible holding of a competition for the election of the Director of the National Anticorruption Bureau.

According to the candidate for the post of Prosecutor General, it is necessary to develop a Criminal Policy Strategy.

In addition, Andriy Kostin emphasized the importance of the implementation of judicial reform, as well as the formation of the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission of Judges.