Gunduz Mamedov has stressed the necessity for enhancing the procedure for selecting Ukraine’s attorney general, citing long-standing calls from European partners for reforms. According to a report by the European Commission regarding Ukraine for the year 2025, there is a pressing need to make the selection and dismissal procedures for the attorney general more objective, transparent, and based on the professional qualifications of candidates to mitigate political interference.
Mamedov pointed out that EU integration documents do not mandate a singular model for the selection process in Ukraine. “The European approach primarily focuses on the quality of the process: it must be transparent, objective, based on professional merits, and include sufficient safeguards against politicization,” he explained.
The former deputy attorney general noted that the Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the EU project “Law-Justice III” and the European Commission, has already assembled a team of experts to review the appointment and dismissal process for the attorney general. A technical assignment for this team was agreed upon on July 15, 2026, with the final report expected by the end of September.
Mamedov reminded that changes to the Constitution cannot occur during wartime, yet the existing Constitution stipulates that the president appoints and dismisses the attorney general with the consent of the Verkhovna Rada. He believes Ukraine requires a mechanism that ensures proper candidate evaluation without turning the appointment into a prolonged process laden with formalities.
For the current appointment, Mamedov suggested considering open consultations with candidates that include international partners, where professional experience, integrity, competence, management skills, and visions for the development of the prosecution service would be assessed.
According to him, this model would incorporate essential competitive selection elements while being adapted to wartime conditions. It is critical to establish evaluation criteria in advance, ensure consultation transparency, and provide a clear and reasoned final decision regarding appointments.
The former deputy attorney general also commented on a crisis within prosecutorial offices, exacerbated by a lack of trust, public scandals, and conflicts with the NABU and SAP. He argued that the new appointee must stabilize the prosecution service, restore internal trust, and ensure proper interaction with law enforcement agencies while maintaining their independence.
Mamedov concluded that the optimized selection format need not be permanent; for the next appointment of the attorney general, a more comprehensive process could be established, defining its stages, criteria, and candidate evaluation mechanisms through legislation.
Context
- Mamedov commented on the situation arising from the scandal surrounding the high-profile “Carthage” operation. In early September, NABU and SAP announced the exposure of a criminal organization suspected of facilitating fraudulent call center networks and laundering assets. Investigations indicated that it was led by Sergey Kropyva, head of the cyber department at the Office of the Attorney General.
- According to NABU, the suspects in the case laundered at least 42 million UAH, of which over 20 million UAH was spent on real estate, jewelry, and valuable movable property.
- Following the scandal, former attorney general Ruslan Kravchenko submitted his resignation. He also announced suspicions against the head of NABU and fled abroad on the same day, after which he was dismissed.
- On September 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decree No. 946/2026 appointing Anton Koval’sky, previously the head of the Khmelnytsky regional prosecutor’s office, as the acting attorney general.
