Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence for Herman, Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor's Office

The Criminal Court of Cassation, which is part of the Supreme Court, considered the defense’s cassation appeal in the case of Hennadiy Herman, the former head of the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, who was sentenced to life in prison for high treason. The sentence remains in effect.

This was reported by Court Reporter.

After reviewing the appeal, the court ruled:

• The defense’s appeal for cassation shall be dismissed.
• The verdict of the trial court and the decision of the Court of Appeals, which found the former head of one of the district prosecutor’s offices in the Mykolaiv region guilty of treason (Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and sentenced him to life imprisonment with confiscation of all property belonging to him by right of ownership, shall be upheld.

On June 28, 2023, the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa found Herman guilty of high treason. The investigation established that from March to April 2022, while in Mykolaiv, he passed military information to pro-Russian blogger Yuriy Podoliaka via Telegram. Podoliaka, in turn, forwarded this information to a lieutenant colonel in Russian intelligence.

The Russian agent to whom the former head of the Mykolaiv District Prosecutor’s Office, Hennadii Herman, “leaked” information was a Russian intelligence officer, Igor Bezler, known by the nickname “Bes.” He was involved in the annexation of Crimea and the seizure of power in Horlivka in 2014, in the downing of the Malaysian Boeing MH-17, as well as in the abductions and murders of pro-Ukrainian residents of the Donetsk region, torture, and sexual violence.

The Court of Appeals upheld his conviction and life sentence. Initially, Herman admitted to corresponding with Podolyaka, explaining that he wanted “objective coverage of the situation in Ukraine.” However, he later denied any contact with Podolyaka or Bezler in court, without admitting his guilt.

Сергій Лозовський