New testimony in the case of high treason against Kherson deputy heard in court

In the case of Kherson City Council deputy Ilya Karamalikov, who is accused of high treason, the court heard one of the last defense witnesses. An entrepreneur from Kherson stated that during the occupation, the deputy allegedly helped with the evacuation of Ukrainian soldiers and did not demonstrate a pro-Russian position.

This was reported by the MIPL.

The Pokrovsky District Court of Kryvyi Rih is considering the case of Ilya Karamalikov, a deputy of the Kherson City Council. The investigation believes that in the spring of 2022, he collaborated with the occupation forces, in particular, he handed over a wounded pilot to the Russians who had been detained by local residents. The deputy himself partially admits the transfer, but insists that there was no other way out under the occupation.

During the hearing, the defense witness, Kherson businessman and co-founder of the Drofa brewery Oleh Konovalenko, was interrogated. He said that he was abroad at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, but followed the events in Kherson through Karamalikov 's video messages on social media. According to him, the MP was one of the few people who regularly informed the citizens about the situation, so he had no doubts about his pro-Ukrainian views.

Upon returning to occupied Kherson in mid-March 2022, Konovalenko learned about the creation of the so-called "people's guard" that patrolled the city due to looting and lack of power. The businessman said that he even financially supported its work to protect his outlets.

Separately, the witness recalled the story of three Ukrainian soldiers who were treated in the regional hospital. When the Russian military began inspecting the medical facility, they decided to hide the soldiers immediately. He agreed to provide them with shelter in his own home, and transportation through the occupied city was organized using a safe route.

According to the witness, Karamalikov had information about the location of Russian checkpoints and, through intermediaries, helped determine the route for the transportation of the soldiers. Konovalenko claimed that the MP knew exactly who was being rescued and was aware of the risks in case of exposure. The soldiers were hiding at his home for about a month, and later left for the government-controlled territory on their own.

During the interrogation, the lawyer also asked about the witness's attitude to the episode with the Russian pilot, which is the reason why Karamalikov is being tried for treason. Konovalenko noted that he did not know the details, but believes that in the occupied Kherson there was virtually no opportunity to act differently.

The prosecutor, in turn, tried to find out how the MP could have received information about the movements of the Russian military and checkpoints.

After the interrogation, the court adjourned. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 11, where the defense is expected to consider other motions.

Ilya Karamalikov, a deputy of the Kherson City Council accused of treason, who was detained in the spring of 2022, was released from the Kryvyi Rih pre-trial detention center in January. He was released on bail of over UAH 900,000.

Анна Бальчінос