Kherson city council deputy released from pre-trial detention center after being charged with high treason

Ilya Karamalikov, a deputy of the Kherson City Council accused of high treason, who was detained in the spring of 2022, has been released from the Kryvyi Rih pre-trial detention center. He was released on bail of over 900 thousand hryvnias.

He announced his release in a video posted on Facebook.

In it, Karamalikov thanked everyone who supported him and contributed to raising funds for his release.

Shortly before that, his lawyer Mykhailo Velychko wrote on social media that he was expecting his client to be released from custody. Later, the information was confirmed by the MP's family. At the same time, the deputy's son Artem said that about 30 people had raised the required amount of just over 900 thousand hryvnias.

Back in March 2025, there was information about the possibility of releasing the MP from the pre-trial detention center on bail of UAH 9.8 million, but the court later reduced the amount of the preventive measure.

On April 16, 2022, the SBU detained Ilya Karamalikov when he and his family tried to leave for Odesa. The SBU provided official confirmation of the detention only on April 21. He was notified of suspicion of high treason committed under martial law.

According to the investigation, the deputy actually headed the local self-defense, the so-called "people's guard," which patrolled the city during the Russian occupation, countered looting and maintained public order. At the same time, on March 15, 2022, after members of this group detained a wounded Russian pilot, the question of his fate arose. The deputy himself stated that under the occupation he had no alternative and was forced to release the military man.

At that time, the court chose a non-alternative measure of restraint in the form of detention.

Karamalikov is a deputy of the Kherson City Council from the political party "We Live Here". According to his lawyer, three of the four episodes that his client was charged with were dropped. Currently, only one episode remains in the case, which concerns the role of the deputy in the fate of a captured Russian soldier.

Also recently, former Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov was released from round-the-clock house arrest. The measure of restraint was applied as part of criminal proceedings on official negligence, which is associated with the consequences of the deadly weather in the city.

Анна Бальчінос