About 500 people protested in front of the court building on March 5 and March 6 against State Fiscal Service Chief Roman Nasirov and blockaded the court, preventing it from from releasing him.
When the defense lawyers filed a motion to disqualify Judge Oleksandr Bobrovnik on March 5, the court said it had to delay the hearings until March 6 because there was no judge on duty on March 5 to replace Bobrovnik. Nasirov’s detention period was scheduled to expire late on March 5.
The court’s decision triggered a public outcry, with critics saying it was illegal and a result of political pressure.