Self-Representation: Extension of Detention Periods During Martial Law Under Article 615 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine
The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group has prepared a series of practical articles on the protection of prisoners' rights in criminal proceedings. They are intended for prisoners and their relatives who have no legal education but wish to defend their rights independently within the criminal process. Naturally, such articles cannot replace the assistance of a qualified lawyer; however, under martial law conditions, when access to a lawyer may be severely restricted, we wish every prisoner to be able to defend themselves independently when faced alone with the unforgiving machinery of the state.
This is the second article in the series. It is devoted to the most painful issue for prisoners: the extension of preventive detention periods during martial law. It is particularly painful for those whose criminal case materials have been lost, yet who themselves remain in pre-trial detention facilities. We examine whether this constitutes a violation of criminal procedure and what can be done about it.