Occupation police officer from Kherson region sentenced for repressions against fellow countrymen

A resident of the Kherson region, who voluntarily joined the police created by the invaders during the Russian occupation and made a career inside the illegal law enforcement agency, was sentenced to prison in absentia.

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Kherson City Court.

According to the investigation, the man not only agreed to work for the occupation administration, he became one of the key executors of its repressive system.

The story began in the summer of 2022, when the Russian military began to form its own security forces after the capture of Henichesk. The invaders were looking for locals who were ready to take"positions" in the so-called "Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Genichesk district". According to the materials of the proceedings, the accused was one of the first to express a desire to join. He was entrusted with the duties of a "senior investigator," and a few months later, he was appointed "acting head of the investigation department."

In this position, the man supervised other employees of the institution, distributed cases, selected staff and coordinated interaction with other units of the occupation administration. According to witnesses, he openly carried a weapon, patrolled the village and carried out orders from Russian supervisors. Local residents recognized him in the building of the seized police department, where he conducted interviews and interrogations of people whom the invaders considered "disloyal" to Russia.

After the liberation of part of the Kherson region, Ukrainian law enforcement began documenting the activities of collaborators. In the archives of the premises left by the occupiers, investigators found orders, personnel documents and memos with the name of the accused.

The man himself did not return to the territory controlled by Ukraine and did not respond to law enforcement calls. The defense counsel asked to take into account that the defendant allegedly acted "under pressure," but the court noted that there was no evidence of coercion, and his career development showed that he was voluntary.

As a result, the court found him guilty under part seven of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code - voluntarily holding a position in an illegal law enforcement agency in the temporarily occupied territory and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

Another resident of Kherson was convicted of collaborating with the occupiers. The man boasted of his high salary and urged other citizens to apply for jobs with the Russian security forces. In May 2022, he agreed to take the position of a junior inspector in the illegally created by the occupation authorities body - the Northern Correctional Colony No. 90.

Анна Бальчінос