Russian special services officer pushed a civilian from Kherson region to the wall

In the Kherson region, a Russian FSB officer tortured a civilian who was illegally detained in the basement of a college in Henichesk. He was notified of suspicion of violating the laws and customs of war, including ill-treatment, torture and death threats.

This is stated in the suspicion of the Prosecutor General's Office.

In March 2022, in the occupied Genichesk, Kherson region, an employee of the Russian Federal Security Service, Oleg Sushchenko, together with other servicemen, used severe torture and torture against a civilian.

They illegally detained the man in the basement of an educational institution. The victim was subjected to physical violence, psychological abuse and threats.

According to the investigation, Sushchenko ordered his subordinates to imitate cutting off the victim's big toe by dipping his foot in a metal bucket of water and putting a metal object, probably a pruner, to his fingers. He was also forced to stand against a wall with the order to prepare for execution and burying.

In addition, the victim was beaten with a wooden mallet on the buttocks, torso, right knee, and twisted his legs. He was kept in unsanitary conditions in the basement - without light, furniture, medical care or access to fresh air.

The purpose of the torture was to obtain information about the leadership of the local fisheries inspection and drug trafficking. Despite the brutality of the interrogation, the victim did not provide answers that satisfied the occupiers.

As a result of the investigation, Sushchenko was served a notice of suspicion of violating the laws and customs of war, including cruel treatment of civilians, torture and death threats, which are war crimes under the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Law enforcement officers also served a notice of suspicion in absentia to a 33-year-old member of the so-called "State Security Service of Kherson region" for treason, participation in illegal armed groups and ill-treatment of civilians. In total, more than 1,500 cases of torture during the occupation have been confirmed in Kherson region, and more than 100 people have already been suspected - including Russian military, FSB officers and local collaborators.

Анна Бальчінос