Kyiv's Pecherskyy district court has arrested Ihor Pavlovskyy, who is suspected of involvement in the murder of Kherson activist Kateryna Handzyuk and organisation of a criminal ring, an LB.ua correspondent has reported.
He will be in custody at least until 4 March.
Lawyer Volodymyr Serhet said that they would appeal the arrest.
Pavlovskyy is considered to be an intermediary between the customer and executor of Khandzyuk's murder.
On 20 January 2020, Pavlovskyy was detained on a new suspicion as head of a criminal ring which intimidated Oleshky district councilors and destroyed local activists' property.
Kateryna Handzyuk was doused with concentrated sulphuric acid outside her house in Kherson on 31 July 2019. On 4 November, she died in a hospital. On the same day, the police requalified the case as accomplished murder.
Serhiy Torbin, Viktor Horbunov, Volodymyr Vasyanovych, Vyacheslav Vyshnevskyy and Mykyta Hrabchuk were convicted on charges of attacking Handzyuk. Ihor Pavlovskyy, whom the investigation considers to be an intermediary between the customers and the perpetrators of the murder, is being investigated separately.
The suspects in ordering and organising the attack are Vladyslav Manher and Oleksiy Levin. Their case was suspended in connection after Levin was put on a wanted list.