Leaked data on Ukrainian Armed Forces parcels: Postal worker in Kherson denied exchange

The attempt to secure release from custody through an exchange procedure failed to convince the appellate court. The panel of judges concluded that the risks cited by the prosecution remain valid, and therefore there are no grounds to change the pretrial detention measure.

The Kherson Court of Appeals upheld the decision to extend the detention of Mykhailo Zhitny, who is accused of treason committed under martial law. The court rejected the defendant’s own appeal.

According to the case file, the man requested that the ruling of the Kherson City Court be overturned and that he be placed under the supervision of the authorized body responsible for organizing prisoner exchanges. In addition, he demanded that the Coordination Headquarters be ordered to include him on the lists for the next prisoner exchange, citing his desire to be reunited with his family.

In his appeal, he claimed that he had received the prosecutor’s motion only a few minutes before the hearing and that the court had not considered the possibility of setting bail. However, the court rejected these arguments. 

According to the investigation, Zhitny, while working at Nova Poshta LLC, passed on information to representatives of the aggressor country regarding the situation in Kherson, the locations of infrastructure and military facilities, as well as statistical data on the contents and quantities of mail sent to Ukrainian servicemen. In addition, he is accused of identifying areas where civilians were concentrated.

Separately, the court considered a request to include the defendant on the exchange lists. The panel emphasized that the law does not grant courts the authority to decide on the transfer of defendants for exchange or to compel the Coordination Headquarters to include them on the relevant lists.

As a result, the appeal was denied, and the Kherson City Court’s ruling to extend Mykhailo Zhitny’s pretrial detention remained unchanged.

Also in June, the person responsible for coordinating enemy attacks on Kherson was sentenced to life in prison. Among the targets for which information was relayed were educational institutions, kindergartens, parks, and other locations.

Анна Бальчінос