Crimean self-defense 'company commander' punished for treason

"The 'self-defense' officer directed the activities of his subordinate 'fighters' to maintain control over the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, where the pseudo-referendum was held.

According to the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, in February 2014, the citizen of Ukraine joined the ranks of the "Self-Defense of Crimea" and headed the 2nd company of this illegal armed group. The convict coordinated the creation of checkpoints and duty at them, as well as helped the Russian military to block and seize critical infrastructure, administrative and military facilities on the peninsula.

In particular, the"self-defender" directed the activities of his subordinate "fighters" to maintain control over the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, where the "referendum on the status of Crimea" was held. Later, he organized security and ensured that the illegal referendum was held at polling stations in Simferopol. At the same time, he urged local residents to vote for the separation of Crimea from Ukraine.

The convict also headed the "People's Militia - the People's Guard of the Republic of Crimea", and after the full-scale invasion, he publicly disseminated information about assistance to the aggressor state and raised funds for the needs of the"militia" members.

The court found the man guilty of participating in an illegal armed group in an attack on enterprises, institutions, organizations, encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, high treason and aiding the aggressor state. He was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Earlier, the court sentenced ex-rescuer from Crimea Gennadiy Bryzytsky to 10 years in prison for cooperation with the occupiers in Kherson region. He voluntarily headed an illegal emergency service, and now he has lost both his property and his rank. Another 43-year-old resident of Kherson region , Oleh Burlakov, was found guilty of treason. In 2022, he headed a school set up by the invaders on the basis of the seized Novozburyevsky Lyceum, where he had previously worked as a biology teacher.

Олеся Ланцман