The case against a Kherson lawmaker on charges of treason will be retried

The court will resume hearing the case of Ilya Karamalikov, a member of the Kherson City Council, who is accused of treason. After nearly four years of proceedings, the composition of the panel has changed.

According to the International Institute for Human Rights (MIPL), the previous presiding judge, Igor Chaikin, has been transferred to the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court, and another judge has fallen seriously ill. Therefore, the case has been transferred to a new panel at the Pokrovsky District Court in Kryvyi Rih. The case will be heard by Rostislav Dehta, Oleksiy Pustovit, and Nataliya Vavrushak.

The defense attorney explained that the court must re-read the indictment, review the case materials, and hear the witnesses. The defense will request that audio recordings of previous interrogations of its witnesses be played, but will insist on personally cross-examining the prosecution’s witnesses. According to the defense attorney’s estimate, the retrial could last at least a year.

Karamalikova was elected as a deputy representing “Igor Kolykhaev’s Party ‘We Live Here!’”. He is currently free on bail and resides in Odesa. He participates in court hearings via video link.

What Karamalikov Is Accused Of

According to the investigation, in March 2022, during the occupation of Kherson, Karamalikov handed over a wounded pilot to Russian military personnel; the pilot had been detained by members of a “people’s militia” organized by the deputy. The prosecution believes that by doing so, he was attempting to establish relations with the occupiers and protect his own property.

The deputy himself does not deny that he released the Russian soldier, but rejects the charges of treason. He explains that, in the occupied city, he could not hand the pilot over to Ukrainian defense forces and feared retaliation from the occupiers.

Karamalikov was detained in April 2022. In January 2026, he was released from pretrial detention on bail, which was later reduced to 332,000 hryvnias. The deputy continues to receive medical treatment. A court will determine his guilt.

Ірина Глухова