NSDC sanctions against Ukrainian citizens

NSDC sanctions against Ukrainian citizens refer to the unconstitutional practice of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) applying personal restrictive measures against Ukrainian citizens under the Law “On Sanctions”. This practice has been widely criticized for contradicting the Constitution of Ukraine and for being used as a political tool by the current authorities, particularly President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Sanctions have been imposed on opposition politicians, media figures, entrepreneurs, and bloggers. Among the most high-profile cases are: the fifth President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko; co-founders and former shareholders of PrivatBank Gennadiy Bogolyubov and Ihor Kolomoyskyi; journalist Svitlana Kryukova; former adviser to the Office of the President Oleksiy Arestovych; and businessman Kostyantyn Zhevago.

In February 2025, the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, the Center for Civil Liberties, and other Ukrainian human rights organizations issued a joint statement condemning the use of sanctions against opposition politicians and businessmen. The NSDC sanctions against Ukrainian citizens have also been criticized by international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, which has highlighted the use of sanctions as a tool for political persecution.