Odesa court extends arrest of Demian Hanul's hitman without bail

The court has extended the pre-trial restraint for Serhiy Shalayev, a suspect in the murder of Odesa activist Demian Hanul, for 60 days without bail. The relatives of the deceased insist on life imprisonment and doubt his remorse.

This was reported by Suspilne.

The detention of the accused in the high-profile murder of Odesa activist Demian Hanul has been extended for another two months. This decision was made by the court on November 26, leaving the suspect in custody without the possibility of bail. The case is ongoing.

During the preliminary hearing on November 3, 46-year-old Shalaev unexpectedly addressed the relatives of the deceased. He stated that he regretted his actions and allegedly did not know who the activist was. According to the accused, he was "misinformed about Hanul's identity" and received the weapon from his customers.

According to him, if he had known what kind of person he was killing, he would have turned the weapon against those who ordered it. The family of the deceased does not believe the statements of remorse and insists on the most severe punishment - life imprisonment.

The tragic events took place on March 14 in the Prymorsky district of Odesa. On that day, Demian Hanul was fatally shot, after which the attacker fled. A few hours later, law enforcement officers detained the suspect, Serhiy Shalaev, a former senior lieutenant. He was found in the apartment where he was hiding. They also found a weapon, which the investigation considers to be the instrument of the crime.

The police opened proceedings under the article on premeditated murder committed to order. The day before, Hanul himself reported that unknown persons, who introduced themselves as military officers, tried to lure him to a "meeting" allegedly to discuss volunteer assistance. However, in the cafe where he was invited, the interlocutors behaved aggressively and accused the activist of allegedly not helping their unit.

The funeral of the Odesa activist took place on March 19. People came to honor his memory near the monument to Taras Shevchenko, after which the funeral procession went to the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, where the funeral service was held.

Анна Бальчінос