Ukrainian judge went on a business trip to Brussels and did not return home

Judge of the Odessa District Administrative Court Roman Karavan went on a business trip to Brussels and did not return back to Ukraine, the country’s Supreme Council of Justice reported.

According to the council, in 2025 the judge went on a business trip to Brussels, from which he was expected to return on November 18.

“The further behavior of the judge - sending a letter of resignation at his own request and an application for leave without pay on the evening of November 17, 2025 directly from abroad - indicates that the real goal of the judge was not to perform official tasks, but to obtain an official administrative document, which served as a formal legal basis for crossing the state border of Ukraine under martial law,” says a message published on the website of the Supreme Council of Justice.

According to the council, at the time of his departure, the judge had 474 pending cases and materials. Karavan explained his decision to resign by the need to care for his sick father, who has been living in Prague since March 2022. On October 7, the High Council of Justice opened a disciplinary case against the judge.