The Kherson Court of Appeal upheld the verdict against the deputy head of the illegal Election Commission in the temporarily occupied territory (TOT) of Kherson region, Serhii Vysotin.
This is stated in the court ruling.
The investigation proved that Vysotin voluntarily agreed to the Kremlin’s proposal to develop the electoral system in the TOT of Kherson region.
Thus, in March 2023 he officially became the deputy head of the region’s illegal election commission. In this position he not only performed representative functions, but also handled administrative work: managed finances, distributed funds from the Russian budget for holding sham voting, and supervised the work of the contractual services of the occupying authority.
In June last year he found guilty under part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaborationist activity) and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with confiscation of all property belonging to him.
However, the prosecutor demanded that Vysotin’s actions be recognized as those committed as part of an organized group by prior conspiracy. The prosecution emphasized that the preparation for the illegal elections in September 2023 was a collective crime, where Vysotin coordinated his actions with nine other members of the commission and the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation.
The panel of judges considered the prosecutor’s appeal against the decision of the court of first instance and left the main punishment in force – 10 years imprisonment with full confiscation of property, as provided for by part 2 of Article 28, part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – participation in the organization and conduct of illegal elections in the temporarily occupied territory, committed by prior conspiracy of a group of persons (collaborationist activity).