In Odesa, witnesses in the case of the head of the Kherson SIZO were heard

In Odesa, the former head of the Kherson SIZO, Igor Guryakov, is on trial for allegedly collaborating with the occupiers. Witnesses claim that he acted under duress and protected prisoners.

This was reported by the Media Initiative for Human Rights.

The investigation claims that he voluntarily appeared in propaganda videos, calling for cooperation with the enemy. The accused himself denies guilt, explaining that he remained in office to take care of hundreds of prisoners who were not evacuated.

His deputy, Yevhen Usachov, is on trial together with him, accused under similar circumstances. At the same time, both of them appear as victims in a war crime case - they are being tried in absentia against the Russian military who tortured them and other Ukrainians.

Two defense witnesses, former employees of the Kherson Detention Center, were interrogated at the hearing of the Khadzhibey District Court of Odesa. The first witness said that on February 24, 2022, the employees gathered for an alarm, and the head announced that he would work under Ukrainian law. When questions arose about his actions during the arrival of the occupiers, Guryakov replied:"Everyone has their own head". The witness confirmed that in April and early May, the administration and employees wrote numerous letters to the Ministry of Justice, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine asking for guidance on how to work under occupation, but received no response.

The second witness confirmed that he had been defending a pro-Ukrainian position. She said that at the time of the invasion, the employees remained on the territory of the SIZO, organized meals for prisoners and court hearings via mobile communication.

The lawyers insisted that the defendant's participation in the video was under duress, under torture by the Russian military. Igor Guryakov has been in custody since November 2022. The court has repeatedly refused to change the measure of restraint to a more lenient one. Even after he was allowed to post bail in February 2023, the Court of Appeal returned him to custody. The next hearing is scheduled for December 18.

In mid-May 2022, Russians kidnapped the head of the Kherson SIZO , Igor Guryakov, and his deputy, Yevhen Usachov. Later, Russian channels showed a video in which he urged the staff of the institution to continue working, said that he had cooperated with the SBU, and appealed to the Russians to strengthen security and prevent riots against the occupiers.

Анна Бальчінос