The Commission on Establishing the Fact of Deprivation of a Person’s Personal Liberty as a Result of Armed Aggression against Ukraine refused to grant the corresponding status to Mykola Horb, a resident of the village of Petrivka in Beryslav district, who was illegally detained by Russians.
This is reported by the Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners
According to Mykola’s testimony, on April 4, 2022, he was illegally detained by representatives of the occupying forces of the Russian Federation. The reason for the detention was SMS messages on his mobile phone, which the soldiers interpreted as “adjusting fire.” Mykola Horb was held until June 12, 2022. During that time he suffered physical violence, mock executions, and psychological pressure. As a result of improper detention conditions and torture, the man lost about 20 kilograms of weight.
After his release, the victim underwent a forensic medical examination that recorded bodily injuries, including fractures; he initiated the opening of a criminal proceeding under Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war) and provided testimony of eyewitnesses to the abduction and of persons who had been held with him at the place of detention.
Despite the existence of a criminal proceeding and medical confirmations, the commission issued a negative decision regarding establishing the fact of deprivation of liberty. At the same time, other persons who had been in the same place of detention together with the applicant received that status.
Earlier we wrote that the guard of the occupiers’ torture chamber in Kherson received life imprisonment.