Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has opened a criminal case over the illegal dissemination of personal photos of Vitalii Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (ACC), Ukrinform reports.
The activist claims that the incident was a“retaliatory response” from the PGO and the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI)to his center's publication.
Last week, the PGO categorically denied any involvement in the incident. It emphasized that baseless public accusations may constitute deliberate discrediting of the institution.
From categorical denial to criminal charges
According to the PGO, Shabunin’s complaint was reviewed on 23 December 2025, and on 24 December, the information was entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations (URPI).
The case was opened under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Article 182, Part 1 — illegal collection, storage, use, or dissemination of confidential personal information;
- Article 387, Part 2 — disclosure of pre-trial investigation data by officials.
Only SBI and prosecutors had access
The case concerns materials from an SBI search conducted in July 2025, including:
- video footage showing the inspection of a mobile phone;
- Shabunin’s personal photographs.
"They leaked my photos to third parties"
According to Shabunin, only SBI investigators and procedural prosecutors had access to these materials.
“I am convinced that SBI investigators and prosecutors, acting on instructions from their superiors, broke the law and leaked my photos to third parties,” Shabunin said.
First refused, then public backlash
Previously, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko refused to comply with a direct requirement of the Criminal Procedure Code to register Shabunin’s complaint in the URPI.
This decision triggered public backlash and accusations of covering up a crime.
