17 July 2025
(Photo: Prosecutor's Office of Odesa region)
Law enforcers detain five "employees" of fictitious rehabilitation center in Odesa
<span>According to the Prosecutor's Office of Odesa Region, the defendants set up a pseudo-rehabilitation center in the private sector of one of Odesa's districts for the alleged treatment of alcohol and drug addicts. In fact, it was a facility with strict isolation, where people were held against their will, without medical permits and proper professional assistance.</span>
"The organizer of the scheme was a resident of Kharkiv, who involved several acquaintances in criminal activity and used a controlled NGO to cover the activities of the 'center,' " the statement said.
The building was equipped with surveillance cameras, and so-called "administrators" were on duty on each floor. Window handles were dismantled, making it impossible to leave the premises freely even in case of an emergency. The persons were forcibly detained, deprived of mobile communication and isolated from the outside world and contacts with relatives.
The "rehabilitation course" consisted of total control: forced labor, sleep restrictions, cold water dousing, writing religious texts, punishment for violating internal rules, including collective responsibility.
The investigation revealed dozens of similar cases, including five minors who were released during searches.
Under the procedural supervision of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, the organizer and 4 members of the criminal group were served notices of suspicion of illegal imprisonment and kidnapping committed for mercenary motives, committed over a long period of time, and committed by an organized group. At the request of the prosecutors, the suspects were chosen a measure of restraint in the form of detention. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
Олеся Ланцман