A former guard at a Kherson prison was sentenced for working for Russia

A former employee of the Kherson penal colony was sentenced to 13 years in prison with confiscation of property. Prosecutors proved that he voluntarily defected to the enemy, received the rank of “captain” from the occupiers, and, after the liberation of Kherson, fled with them to Henichesk.

This is stated in the verdict of the Uzhhorod City and District Court of Zakarpattia Oblast dated October 30.<span>  </span>

The term of the convicted man’s sentence will be counted from the moment of his actual arrest.

As investigators established, after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and the capture of Kherson, the occupying authorities created a fake law enforcement agency—the “Kherson Regional Penitentiary Service.”  It was set up on the premises of the seized state institution “Northern Correctional Colony (No. 90).”

On June 1, 2022, a former employee of the facility voluntarily joined the invaders’ ranks. He assumed the position of squad leader in the department responsible for educational work with inmates. He later received the special rank of “captain of internal service” from the occupying administration. Witnesses noted that the man wore a Russian uniform and conducted correctional work with inmates according to the rules of the aggressor state.

According to the investigation, during the liberation of Kherson on November 11, 2022, the man fled to Henichesk along with the Russian occupiers. It is noted that there he continued to perform his duties at the new location of the illegal authority.

Evidence in the case included staffing schedules, personnel lists, and duty rosters seized after the de-occupation. 

Юлія Калабайда