Head of social policy department in Odesa region arrested for high treason

The court extended the detention of an official of the Odesa City Council suspected of high treason under martial law. The arrest without bail will be valid until October 2, 2025.

This is evidenced by the decision of the Peresypskyi District Court of Odesa.

The court upheld the prosecutor's motion and extended the detention of the head of the accounting department of the social policy department of the Pivdenne City Council.

The woman, a native of Odesa, had no previous convictions and officially worked in a responsible position. She is accused of committing a particularly serious crime - high treason, which carries a sentence of up to life imprisonment.

According to the investigation, the defendant could have provided assistance to a foreign organization that carries out subversive activities against Ukraine in the context of martial law and Russia's armed aggression. The prosecutor emphasized that due to the seriousness of the charges and a possible life sentence, the suspect could hide from justice.

The defense counsel insisted on a mitigated measure of restraint - house arrest or bail, but the court, having analyzed the case file, agreed with the prosecutor's position. Given the public danger of the crime, the court extended the detention for 60 days - until October 2, 2025 - without the possibility of bail.

The case is currently under consideration, and the suspect will be under control until the end of the trial. According to the court's decision, the ruling will come into force after the expiration of the appeal period.

In early August, the court found a 39-year-old resident of Odesa region guilty of high treason and sentenced her to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Prosecutors established that she voluntarily began to cooperate with a representative of the Russian special services, collecting and transmitting data on the location of military facilities in Odesa and the region. In exchange, the curator promised to help her move to Russia or Belarus and find employment for her and her family.

Анна Бальчінос