Kherson Resident Sentenced to 6 Years for Illegal Russian Referendum Participation

A resident of the Kherson region was sentenced to six years in prison for participating in an illegal Russian "referendum" in the temporarily occupied territory.

The sentence was passed by the Velyko Oleksandrivskyi District Court.

According to the case, the accused is a native of Kirovohrad region. In the period from September 23 to 27, 2022, the woman, acting together with the so-called chairman of the precinct election commission and other persons, deliberately violated the laws of Ukraine. She knew that she was acting illegally, but still took part in the organization and holding of an illegal"referendum" initiated by the Russian occupiers.

Together with the Russian military, she went to the homes of residents of the villages of Kozatske and Vesele in the Kherson region and convinced people to vote for the separation of the Kherson region from Ukraine and its accession to Russia.

At the trial, the prosecutor insisted on the woman's proven guilt. He recalled that her participation was confirmed by evidence collected during the investigation, as well as eyewitness testimony. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence the defendant to 10 years in prison, ban her from holding public office and participating in electoral processes for 15 years, and confiscate her property.

Instead, the lawyer insisted that the defendant did not act on her own initiative, but under pressure from the occupiers. He argued that she did not actively participate in the agitation, but only carried out other people's orders.

In February 2024, the woman was detained by Ukrainian law enforcement officers in Kryvyi Rih, where she lived as an IDP. During the trial, the Kherson resident pleaded guilty. According to the defendant, she received money for cooperating with the occupiers, which she spent on coal.

The court found her guilty under Part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - collaboration - and sentenced her to six years in prison. The court did not confiscate her property.

Earlier, the court sentenced a resident of Chornobaivka, Kherson region, who organized a fake referendum. She was also sentenced to 6 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Before that, two residents of Kherson were also notified of suspicion of collaborating with the occupiers during the pseudo-referendum in 2022. They were actively involved in the work of fake election commissions and were notified in absentia of suspicion of collaboration.

Ірина Глухова