Citizens' Appeals

 Dear Citizens!
You can submit an appeal to the Territorial Office of the ESBU in Zakarpattia region in any way convenient for you:

• by mail – to the official address: Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in Zakarpattia region, 145 Sobranetska St., Uzhhorod, 88017
• via the drop box located at the Territorial Office of the ESBU in Zakarpattia region: 145 Sobranetska St., Uzhhorod, 88017
• by email – to the official inbox: zakarpattia@esbu.gov.ua 
• verbally – by calling the "hotline" at +38 (0312) 64 63 06; appeals are accepted on business days from 14:00 to 16:00.

If you are unable to submit an appeal in person for objective reasons (health condition, age restrictions, etc.), your legal representative may do so. This can be a guardian, trustee, or an authorized person. For this purpose, supporting documents must be provided — a power of attorney and copies of the ID of both the applicant and the representative. The submission format remains flexible: written, electronic, or via the website.

The appeal is written in a free format but must comply with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine "On Citizens' Appeals."

Whichever method you choose, the appeal must:

• include your full name (surname, first name, and patronymic, if any) and place of residence;
• state the essence of the issue, remarks, proposals, statements or complaints, requests, or demands;
• include the date and signature (an electronic appeal, if sent without an electronic digital signature, must be in the form of a scanned copy and/or a photocopy);
• specify the mailing or email address for the response, or other means of communication.

An appeal filed without complying with these requirements shall be returned to the applicant with relevant explanations no later than 10 days from the date of its receipt by the Territorial Office of the ESBU in Zakarpattia region.

A written appeal without the applicant's place of residence, not signed by the author(s), or one from which authorship cannot be established, is considered anonymous and shall not be considered.

The procedure for considering citizen appeals and organizing personal appointments in the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine and its Territorial Offices was approved by ESBU Order No. 59 dated March 24, 2022, registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on May 19, 2022, under No. 539/37875 (as amended).

Scope of this Procedure

• This Procedure applies to citizens' appeals received in written or oral form.
• The provisions of this Procedure do not apply to the consideration of citizens' applications and complaints in the manner established by the Code of Administrative Justice of Ukraine, criminal procedural, civil procedural, or labor legislation, legislation on the protection of economic competition, or the Laws of Ukraine "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges," "On Access to Court Decisions," "On Prevention of Corruption," and "On Enforcement Proceedings."
• Statements and reports regarding the commission of criminal and/or corruption offenses are considered by the ESBU bodies in accordance with the requirements of criminal procedural legislation, the Law of Ukraine "On Prevention of Corruption," and the organizational and administrative documents of the ESBU bodies.
• Complaints against decisions, actions, or omissions of an ESBU detective during a pre-trial investigation are considered in the manner and within the limits provided by criminal procedural legislation, taking into account the decisions and conclusions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
• Appeals from persons regarding pre-trial investigation issues who are not participants in criminal proceedings are considered in the manner and within the timeframes provided by the legislation on citizens' appeals.
• Appeals from convicts serving sentences in correctional institutions are considered in accordance with the requirements of the Criminal Executive Code of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine "On Citizens' Appeals," and this Procedure.
• Appeals from persons who are not citizens of Ukraine but are legally residing on its territory are considered in the same manner as appeals from citizens of Ukraine, unless otherwise provided by international treaties.
• The procedure for considering citizens' requests for information, the publication of public information, and the reimbursement by requesters of costs for copying or printing documents is carried out in accordance with the Laws of Ukraine "On Access to Public Information" and "On Protection of Personal Data."
• A request for information submitted under the Law of Ukraine "On Access to Public Information" which, by its content, combines the subject of regulation of both the Law of Ukraine "On Citizens' Appeals" and the Law of Ukraine "On Access to Public Information," shall be considered in its respective parts within the timeframes and in the manner prescribed by the relevant laws.

Responsible Parties

The Document Flow Support and Control Sector is responsible for the reception and registration of appeals, as well as the organization of personal appointments. The responsible person is Olha Tomakh, Chief Specialist of the Document Flow Support and Control Sector.

Email: zakarpattia@esbu.gov.ua
Phone: +38 (0312) 64 63 06

Timeframe for consideration of appeals:

• 1 month from the date of receipt, including weekends and holidays.
• 15 days for urgent appeals that do not require additional study.
• up to 45 days if the issues cannot be resolved within a month. The head of the body may set an extended deadline, and the applicant must be notified accordingly.

At the reasoned written request of a citizen, the consideration timeframe may be shortened.

Appeals that do not fall within the competence of the ESBU are forwarded to the appropriate authority within 5 days, with notification sent to the applicant.

To inquire about the results of an appeal sent to the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Zakarpattia region, you may call the citizen inquiry information line: +38 (0312) 64 63 06, Monday through Thursday from 09:00 to 18:00, and Friday from 09:00 to 16:45.

Rights of a citizen during the consideration of an application or complaint:

• to personally present arguments to the person who verified the application or complaint and to participate in the verification process;
• to review the verification materials;
• to submit additional materials or insist on their request by the body considering the application or complaint;
• to be present during the consideration of the application or complaint;
• to use the services of an attorney or a representative of a labor collective or a human rights organization, having formalized this authorization in accordance with the law;
• to receive a written response regarding the results of the consideration;
• to demand (verbally or in writing) the confidentiality of the consideration of the application or complaint;
• to demand compensation for damages if they resulted from violations of the established procedure for considering appeals.

Appealing Actions or Omissions of State Authorities and Their Officials

The Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Zakarpattia region has the right to refuse a citizen's demands set forth in an application (petition). The decision to refuse is communicated to the citizen in writing, citing the Law and stating the motives for the refusal, as well as explaining the procedure for appealing the decision.

A citizen has the right to appeal decisions, actions (omissions) as a result of which:

- the rights and legitimate interests or freedoms of a citizen (group of citizens) have been violated;

- obstacles have been created for a citizen to exercise their rights and legitimate interests or freedoms;

- any duties have been unlawfully imposed on a citizen, or they have been unlawfully brought to responsibility.

A complaint against a contested decision may be submitted to a higher-level body or official within one year of its adoption, but no later than one month from the time the citizen became familiar with the decision. Complaints submitted in violation of this timeframe will not be considered. A deadline missed for a valid reason may be reinstated by the body or official considering the complaint.

If a citizen disagrees with the decision of the higher state body that reviewed the complaint, it may be appealed in court within the timeframe prescribed by Ukrainian legislation.

In addition to a higher body, a complaint may be submitted to an authority that monitors compliance with the Law, in particular to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.