The Prosecutor's Office has brought a lawmaker to trial for seizing power in occupied Yalta

An indictment has been filed against a Ukrainian citizen who headed the occupied Yalta City Council. The man faces up to 10 years in prison for organizing the work of an illegal governing body and supporting the policies of the Russian Federation.

This was reported by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol.

According to the investigation, in 2024, the defendant, while serving as a deputy of the so-called Yalta City Council, ran for the position of “chairman” of that occupying body. Subsequently, during a regular session, the deputies voted to appoint him.

In his position, the man organized the work of the illegal governing body. He presided over meetings, signed illegal decisions, and issued resolutions and orders regarding the organization of the city council’s activities, among other matters. 

Previously, two Ukrainian citizens who worked in the occupation judicial system of Crimea and Sevastopol were sentenced to 14 and 15 years in prison, with confiscation of property. Prosecutors proved that between 2022 and 2024, the defendants voluntarily took jobs at pseudo-judicial institutions operating in occupied Crimea.

The cases were heard in special in absentia proceedings, meaning without the defendants present. They were found guilty of collaboration under Part 7 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Юлія Калабайда