Judge from Odessa went on a work trip to Belgium and didn’t return, abandoning 474 cases

A judge of the Odessa District Administrative Court, Roman Karavan, traveled to Brussels on an official work trip and did not return to Ukraine within the required timeframe.

This was reported by the country’s High Council of Justice.

According to the council, in 2025 Karavan was due to return from Brussels on November 18. However, on the evening of November 17 — while still abroad — he submitted a resignation letter and an application for unpaid leave.

“The judge’s subsequent conduct — submitting a resignation letter and an application for unpaid leave on the evening of November 17, 2025, directly from abroad — indicates that the judge’s true purpose was not to carry out official duties, but to obtain a formal administrative document that would serve as a legal basis for crossing the state border of Ukraine under martial law,” the High Council of Justice concluded.

At the time of his departure, Karavan had 474 unresolved cases and materials pending before him.

The former judge himself explained his decision by the need to care for his ailing father, who has been living in Prague since March 2022. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Karavan.