Russian special service officer sentenced for torturing military in Kherson

An employee of the Russian special service was convicted in Odesa for torture and coercion to treason during the occupation of Kherson. He used violence, intimidation and deception to force a Ukrainian to cooperate with the occupiers.

This was reported by the Court Reporter.

Khadzhybeyskyi District Court of Odesa found Yuriy Belyatskyi, an officer of the 9th Department of the 5th Service of the Russian Federal Security Service, guilty of violating the laws and customs of war.

During the occupation of Kherson on March 31, 2022, Russian military entered the apartment of the head of the recruiting department of one of the military units. The man was not at home, so the invaders took his wife and son hostage and robbed the apartment: they took $5,000, 1,000 euros, a coffee maker, two laptops, a system unit, a wristwatch, a camera, a video camera, and other valuables.

Under duress, the wife called her husband, saying that there were "guests" in the apartment, and asked him to come home to save the family. The victim told the court that during the occupation, he and his colleagues acted on the instructions of their superiors: they hid weapons, documents and mobile phones, tried to stay in safe places and, if possible, provide information about the enemy's movements.

When he learned about the danger to his wife and son, the man made up a story to mislead the Russians and save his family. When he came home, he was searched and interrogated about the local military and ATO participants. Later, he was beaten, his head was covered with a hat, and he was taken to an unknown location, where they continued to torture him and tried to recruit him.

The detainee was offered the position of chief military commissar of the region under the occupation administration. He refused, explaining that he had a disability and did not plan to hold any positions. The occupiers suspected him of spying for the UK. In the end, the man signed a statement of "cooperation" with the FSB, having no intention of betraying the state, but only to save himself and his family.

In the evening of the same day, he was released, and he immediately informed his superiors and representatives of the SBU about the incident. After that, an operation was organized to evacuate him and his family from occupied Kherson.

During his stay in Mykolaiv, the man was visited by strangers who, in his opinion, were trying to eliminate him. Also, Belyatsky himself probably called, but the victim interrupted the conversation and turned off the phone.

To identify the FSB officer, the victim worked with an artist who created a portrait based on his description. The executioner was recognized because he took off his mask after receiving a statement of "cooperation. Investigators also found his VKontakte page, identified his relatives and obtained several photos, including official and private events, where he was aged 35 to 45. The victim recognized the person who ordered the torture and forced him to commit treason.

The court sentenced Belyatsky to 12 years in prison in absentia.

Also at the end of the year, the court allowed a special pre-trial investigation into a Russian serviceman suspected of ill-treating civilians during the temporary occupation of Kherson region.

Анна Бальчінос