On September 26, 2025, the HACC declined to accept defendant Roman Nasirov’s refusal of his defense counsel and instructed the Northern Interregional Center for Free Legal Aid to appoint a new lawyer.

At today’s hearing, it was revealed that Nasirov had terminated his contract with his latest lawyer, Kostiantyn Doroshenko. He refused to explain the reason to the judges, stating only that they had differences. Nasirov requested three days to find new counsel and refused to continue the closing arguments.

The prosecutor emphasized that the crime imputed to Nasirov is serious, and therefore the presence of a defense lawyer is not mandatory. She also pointed out that the defendant had sufficient time to prepare for the debates.

The court, however, did not accept his refusal, meaning that Doroshenko was obliged to appear at today’s hearing once again.

The judge repeatedly noted the repetition in Nasirov’s statements and the similarity of his arguments to those of his lawyer. Nasirov began his closing arguments back in June and has continued them for several hearings. Because of this, and due to frequent absences of the defense, the case has been stalled for months. This creates a risk that the defendant could evade liability, since the statute of limitations for the crime he is charged with will expire in April 2026.

As we reported earlier, former Head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov is accused in connection with the Onyshchenko Gas Case, in which, according to the prosecution, he and an accomplice unlawfully issued an order to defer rental payments for subsoil use and to reschedule tax arrears. The state sustained losses of approximately UAH 2 billion.