A witness in the case against the former head of the Kherson Pretrial Detention Center described torture by electric shock

In Odesa,Yevgen Usachev, the former deputy director of the Kherson Pretrial Detention Center, spoke about the Russian military’s seizure of the facility, torture, and working conditions during the occupation. His testimony was heard in the case of Igor Guryakov, who is accused of treason.

The International Institute for Human Rights (IIHR) reportedthis on October 22.

Usachev testified on behalf of the defense, although he himself is accused of treason under similar circumstances in a separate criminal proceeding. Both former detention center employees are also victims in the case involving torture by Russian troops.

According to Usachev, after the full-scale invasion began, detention center staff continued to perform their duties on orders from their superiors. They appealed to government authorities to evacuate the staff and approximately 300 detainees, but received no response.

On May 11, 2022, armed Russian soldiers arrived at the facility. Usachev said that he was detained, taken to the basement of the appeals court building, and tortured with electric shocks and beatings.

According to his testimony, Guryakov was also being held there. After the interrogation, Guryakov returned with visible signs of beatings and showed bruises on his body. Subsequently, the occupation administrator, Yevgeny Sobolev, ordered both men to return to work.

Usachev claimed that Guryakov spent most of his time in the administrative building and used the phone. The witness had no information about Guryakov performing any specific work. Guryakov himself stated that he had been forced to cooperate with the occupiers under torture.

Prosecutors objected to Usachov’s testimony. They pointed out that his case is also being heard by this same panel of judges, and that shared defense attorneys could influence the consistency of the testimony. The court decided to hear the witness and to evaluate his testimony when rendering its decision.

The issue of a pretrial detention measure for Guryakov was considered separately. In September, the district court allowed him to be released on bail of 998,400 hryvnias, but on October 7, the appellate court overturned that decision. The former official will remain in custody until November 15 without the right to bail.

The next hearing is scheduled for November 9. The court is set to question one more defense witness, after which it will hear the defendant and conduct closing arguments.

Ірина Глухова