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 gene
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