In Odesa, the customer of the murder of Demian Hanul was sentenced

A court in Odesa has announced the verdict against the person who ordered the murder of two civil society activists. The accused pleaded guilty and agreed to a simplified trial.

This was reported by Suspilne.

On October 22, the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa sentenced Mykola Mayorenko, accused of organizing the contract killing of two civil society activists, Hennadii Beibutian and Demian Hanul. The court sentenced him to 14 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Earlier, on October 20, Mayorenko pleaded guilty and agreed to a simplified trial. The prosecutor's office asked for 15 years in prison, emphasizing that it was an attempted murder for profit, while the defense insisted on a minimum sentence due to the defendant's guilty plea. After the verdict was announced, the convict said he would not appeal. The victim Gennadiy Beibutyan called the court's decision fair.

The case was investigated after the detention of the accused in October 2024. According to the investigation, the 43-year-old Lviv resident arrived in Odesa in September to organize the murder on the order of Russian special services. He was promised $80,000 for the elimination of the head of a public organization that supported mobilization.

The man gave the customer a photo of the victim, his address, habits and daily routine. The law enforcement officers staged the murder, took staged photos and videos, and passed them on to the client. The organizer was then detained while receiving the report. They seized an F-1 combat grenade and a phone with correspondence with a Russian curator.

The SBU reported that the attempt was planned as a demonstration and was intended to destabilize the region. According to the Russian plan, other attacks on pro-Ukrainian activists were to follow. The defendant was notified of suspicion under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including attempted contract murder and illegal handling of ammunition.

In early October, the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa held the first preparatory hearing in the case of the murder of public figure Demian Hanul. The defense of the accused requested that the trial be closed, but the prosecutor's office insisted on an open hearing.

The prosecutor's office accuses 46-year-old serviceman Sergei Shalaev of murdering the activist. The police considered three main versions of the crime, including the possibility that the murder was ordered by Russian special services. Shalayev was detained the same day, and the weapon that was allegedly used in the shooting was found in the apartment where he was hiding.

According to the investigation, around 10:30 am in the center of Odesa, a man shot Demian Hanul several times. The activist died on the spot from his injuries.

Анна Бальчінос