A deputy from United Russia in Chaplynka was sentenced to 10 years in prison

In the Kherson region, a local resident who voluntarily became a deputy of the Chaplynka District Council under the occupation regime, representing the ruling Russian party, was sentenced. The court sentenced the collaborator to 10 years in prison, with confiscation of property and disqualification from holding public office.

This is stated in the verdict of the Velyka Oleksandrivka District Court of the Kherson region. 

As established by investigators and the court, during the temporary occupation of the Kherson region, the Chaplynka resident voluntarily agreed to cooperate with Russian representatives. In late July 2023, he agreed to be included on the candidate lists of the All-Russian United Russia Party for the so-called elections to the illegal Council of Deputies of the Chaplynka Municipal District.

Based on the results of the sham elections held by the occupiers on September 10, 2023, the convicted man obtained a “deputy’s mandate.” Already in September of that year, by a decision of the occupying authority, he was appointed chair of two standing committees at once—on architecture, urban planning, and land relations, as well as on public services and security.

The convicted individual participated in meetings and in the drafting of occupation regulations (in particular, regarding the approval of the “charter” and urban improvement rules). He also appeared in video segments produced by the occupying media and participated in all-Russian campaigns, thereby promoting Russian authority. 

The prosecution’s case was based on inspection reports of the occupying authorities’ websites and Telegram channels, the conclusion of a forensic facial recognition analysis, photo identification reports, and the testimony of two witnesses.

Юлія Калабайда