Prosecutors from the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office have sent indictments to court against ten representatives of the Russian Federal Security Service, armed formations of the Russian Federation, the so-called ‘DPR’ and the illegally created occupation police.
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, they are charged with cruel treatment of the civilian population, as well as gross violations of the laws and customs of war.
According to the investigation, during the temporary occupation of the Kherson Region, the accused illegally abducted civilians, held them in basements, captured detention centres and other places unsuitable for habitation. They subjectedcivilians to torture, physical and psychological pressure, threats and terror, and demanded ransom money.
In particular, in Beryslav, people were illegally detained and tortured for months. In Hola Prystan, civilians were beaten and subjected to electric shock torture under the guise of so-called ‘checks.’ At checkpoints, the occupiers abducted civilians and turned them into hostages.
The investigation documented cases of simulated executions, coercion to dig one's own grave, and brutal beatings that led to serious health consequences for the victims.
All the evidence gathered was used as a basis for sending indictments to court. The prosecutor's office emphasises that even a conviction in absentia is a full sentence, which legally records the fact of the crime and creates grounds for further international prosecution of the perpetrators and their actual punishment.