Ukraine: attempts to bring weapons into courts drop by 20% thanks to EU-supported public information campaign

A joint public information campaign carried out recently by the Court Security Service and the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine to reduce security risks in courts has resulted in a nearly 20% decrease in attempts to bring firearms and other prohibited items into courts.

These results have been achieved despite the fact that the number of court sessions guarded by the Court Security Service has been increasing every month since Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

Across Ukraine, for example, the number of weapons found at court entrances in August was 16,907 and in November it was 13,774. At the same time, the number of court sessions in August was almost 263,000 and rose to 332,500 in November.

According to EUAM, following the invasion in February, thousands of citizens received permits to possess arms or have been issued weapons to defend the country. Subsequently, Ukrainian judicial institutions have faced a significant increase in the number of attempts to bring weapons and prohibited items into their premises. After the invasion, an escalating number of court visitors tend to ignore the rules and arrive at the courthouses carrying strictly prohibited items.

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Press release