Russian colonel accused of torturing Skadovsk mayor

A court in Kherson region is considering the case of a Russian colonel accused of abducting and torturing civilians during the occupation of Skadovsk. Among the victims is Mayor Yakovlev, who was captured and interrogated by the Russian military.

This was reported by the Center for Investigative Journalism.

The Velyko Oleksandrivskyi District Court of Kherson region is considering a case against Russian Colonel Viktor Bogaturov, who is accused of war crimes against civilians. According to the investigation, he was involved in the abductions, torture and illegal detention of civilians during the occupation of Skadovsk in 2022.

Among the victims was the mayor of Skadovsk, Oleksandr Yakovliev, who was abducted by the Russian military right from the city council building on March 16, 2022. His deputy and the council secretary were also detained along with him. They were taken to the seized district police station, where they were held without any legal grounds and interrogated.

According to testimonies, after several hours of detention, Yakovlev was brought for interrogation to a Russian colonel who physically abused him in an attempt to obtain information about the activities of the local authorities. The official was then returned to his cell and later released without explanation.

The investigation found that Bogaturov was acting as the so-called "commandant" of the occupied Skadovsk and coordinating the activities of Russian security forces. It was under his leadership that places of illegal detention and torture of civilians were set up in the seized buildings, including the district police department and the Slava children's camp.

In addition to the mayor, two other local residents were recognized as victims in the case. According to investigators, they were also abducted, beaten, subjected to psychological pressure and mock executions. One of the men spent several weeks in captivity, where he was regularly tortured and held in inhumane conditions.

The prosecutor's office charged the colonel with violations of the laws and customs of war, as well as cruel treatment of civilians. He faces up to 12 years in prison. At the same time, the accused is in the temporarily occupied territory, so the trial is being held in absentia.

During the last session, the court examined written evidence and identification materials that were used by the victims to identify Bogaturov, in particular, by the call sign "Director". The next stage of the trial - the interrogation of witnesses and victims - is scheduled for May 26.

Also in March, law enforcement officers in the Kherson region exposed a large-scale network of collaborators who were engaged in kidnapping and torture under the guise of pseudo-police. The criminal organization included both local residents and former and current law enforcement officers.

Анна Бальчінос