Supreme Court dismisses deputy chairman over Russian citizenship

Ukraine’s Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Kniaziev dismissed the deputy chairman Bohdan Lvov on Oct. 5 after Ukraine's Security Service had confirmed that Lvov has a Russian passport.

Lvov, however, denies this accusation.

According to a document published by Supreme Court, Lvov was dismissed due to his Russian citizenship. Under Ukrainian law, foreign citizens are banned from holding government jobs.

“This is an unprecedented decision for the judicial system because the specified provisions of the Constitution and the Law are being applied for the first time,” the Supreme Court said.

Earlier on Oct. 3, the commercial chamber of the Supreme Court failed to gather enough votes to fire Lvov, sparking an uproar in Ukraine.

Lvov received Russian citizenship in 1999 when he was already working as a judge in Ukraine, according to documents published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Schemes investigation project.