An Odessa court sentenced an investigator to 12 years in prison for serving in the occupation police in Kherson

In Odesa, a court sentenced a man found guilty of working as an investigator for the occupying law enforcement agency in Kherson. The defendant denied the charges, but the court sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

This is stated in the verdict of the Khadzhibey District Court of Odessa.

According to the case file, in June and July 2022, the man voluntarily took on the role of “investigator” in the illegal law enforcement agencies established in the occupied territory of Kherson. The court found that in these roles, he investigated criminal cases and conducted investigative activities.

In particular, witnesses testified that the man identified himself as a police investigator, inspected crime scenes, conducted interrogations, and prepared official documents. One of the witnesses also stated that he demanded money for “protecting” stores under the occupation.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized, among other things, an “investigator’s” ID, Russian-style documents, computer equipment, and data storage devices. An expert analysis also confirmed that some of the signatures on the documents were made by the defendant.

The defendant himself did not admit guilt. He claimed that he did not work as an investigator during the occupation and denied conducting any investigative activities.

The court found the man guilty under Part 7 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—the voluntary assumption by a citizen of Ukraine of a position in an illegal law enforcement agency in a temporarily occupied territory.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and barred for 15 years from holding positions in law enforcement agencies and local government bodies, as well as from engaging in activities related to the provision of public services. In addition, the court ordered the confiscation of his property.

The pretrial detention order was left unchanged. However, the verdict may still be appealed within 30 days.

Ірина Глухова