Alena Shevtsova, the former owner of the liquidated Ibox Bank, who is under sanctions by the National Security and Defense Council and wanted by the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, successfully defended her dissertation in the philosophy of law in Ukraine.
According to open data from KROK University, the defense took place online in February 2024. The topic of the dissertation is “The Relationship between Law and Law in the Ukrainian Legal Tradition.” The scientific supervisor and reviewers ensured the preparation and successful defense of the work, despite the fact that Shevtsova was not physically in Ukraine.
Shevtsova was already wanted in 2023 in connection with the case of organizing a criminal group that was engaged in illegal gambling and money laundering worth over 4.8 billion hryvnias. The group included the director of the e-commerce business department and the head of the bank's financial monitoring department, as well as other accomplices through controlled companies.
Despite sanctions and a search warrant, the woman was able to continue her activities in Ukraine remotely and obtain an academic degree, which caused a public outcry.
This situation raises questions about control over scientific institutions and access of sanctioned individuals to educational and scientific processes in the country.
