With the support of the public prosecution, prosecutors of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office have found a Russian serviceman guilty in absentia of cruel treatment of the civilian population, committed by a group of individuals in conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — as amended in 2022).

He has been sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.

Prosecutors proved that the convicted individual, known among militants by the call sign “Granite,” held the position of military commandant in Balakliia when the city was under the occupation of the Russian Federation for over six months. 

The commandant identified a person's participation in the ATO zone, having relatives who are servicemen, and expressing pro-Ukrainian views as grounds for the detention and torture of civilians by Russian military personnel, who acted under orders and instructions signed by him. 

For each instance of detention, the duty officer of the military commandant's office reported to the convicted individual, who personally conducted interrogations of civilians multiple times, exerting significant psychological pressure on them.

In April 2022, the military commandant ordered his subordinates to detain a local resident who openly expressed pro-Ukrainian views. The occupiers abducted the man, put handcuffs on him, placed a bag over his head, beat his face, and delivered him to the torture chamber for interrogation by the commandant. The commandant placed a pistol on the table, pointing the barrel at the man, and ordered him to provide all information about his brothers, one of whom is a veteran of the ATO.

The man was held in a cell without proper food, drinking water, access to fresh air, a bed, or basic sanitary conditions.

The convicted individual committed similar acts against another local resident. The victim also experienced psychological pressure. In particular, the commandant threatened that if he did not comply, his relatives would be forcibly taken to the Russian Federation, and the victim himself would be imprisoned.

After numerous interrogations and moral pressure, the victims were eventually released.

The occupier has been declared wanted. 

The guilty verdict was issued by the Balakliia District Court of the Kharkiv Region. The deadline for filing an appeal is currently ongoing.

The pre-trial investigation was conducted by investigators from the SBU in the Kharkiv region.