The defendant in the case of the murder of Kherson activist Handziuk will not serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The 129th Brigade has denied rumors about the possible service of Vladislav Manger, a defendant in the murder of Kherson activist Kateryna Handziuk. The military unit said that Manger has no connection to the brigade and will not be involved.

This was reported by the press service of the 129th separate heavy mechanized brigade.

The day before, a number of Ukrainian media outlets reported that Vladislav Manger, who was convicted of organizing the attack that killed civil society activist Kateryna Handziuk, was allegedly planning to join the 129th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade. In response, the unit released an official statement denying this information.

The brigade noted that Manger has not served, is not serving and will not serve in its ranks. The statement also emphasizes that the 129th Brigade's soldiers risk their lives every day to defend the country, and the unit's reputation is extremely important. Therefore, according to the military, a person found guilty by a court of organizing a brutal crime cannot be part of a combat team.

We highly value the reputation of the brigade and are convinced that a person found guilty by a court of organizing a brutal attack that killed a civil society activist cannot serve in our ranks," the statement said.

The brigade also called on the media and the public to refrain from spreading unverified information.

On August 1, the HACCU Appeals Chamber held a hearing in the case of the attackers of Kherson activist Kateryna Handziuk. During the consideration of the appeals, the accused Vladislav Manger announced his intention to enlist in the military, and the commander of the 129th Brigade, according to the defense, allegedly gave written consent to his enlistment. The defense lawyers insisted that if the suspect served in the Armed Forces, the risk of his escape would disappear. However, the position of the brigade itself is clear: Manger has not been and will not be in its ranks.

At the previous meeting, the court reviewed two volumes of the case, including documents on the actions of the prosecutor's office, the international search for one of the suspects, and the transfer of the case to the SBU due to police inefficiency. Law enforcement officers completed the investigation in April 2020 - the investigation believes that Vladyslav Manger, in collusion with Oleksiy Levin, organized the attack on Kateryna Handziuk.

Manger was detained on June 16, 2020, after he had not appeared in court for a long time. On June 19, he was taken into custody without bail. In July, the indictment was submitted to the court, and the hearing began on August 28. The prosecutor's office demanded 12 years in prison for Manger and Levin, but they pleaded not guilty.

Анна Бальчінос