The Third General Jurisdiction Court of Appeal of Sochi revised the sentence of Mr.Ihor Kupych, and reduced it by six months.
On March 30, Alla Khinevych, “judge” of the “Supreme Court”, convicted Mr.Ihor Kupych, a 40-year-old resident of the village of Pioners’ke, under the Russian Federation Criminal Code articles 281-1 (sabotage) and 222.1-1 (illegal trafficking of explosives). The man was also accused of preparing for act of sabotage (RF CC Article 281-1 with a reference to RF CC Article 30-1). Under the article of explosive trafficking the court considered two charges. Mr.Kupych was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with a RUR70,000 fine.
Mr. Kupych appealed the judgement in the appellate court, but the sentence was upheld. According to the sentence of the “Supreme Court”, on May 28, 2022, Mr.Kupych allegedly made Molotov cocktails, and threw them in the Simferopol military commissariat building, causing the physical damage estimated at almost RUR7,000 (about UAH2,000 – eds.). According to the testimonies of “witnesses”, there was no fire, they only noticed “signs of ignition under the windows”.
Mr.Kupych is believed by the occupation investigation to have been planning the explosion of the railway in Crimea. According to the document, Mr.Kupych, supposedly, had an intention to blow up the railway track, for this purpose he purchased an anti-tank mine in advance (that he, supposedly, kept at home) and photographed the railway bridge in order to determine the location for placing the explosive device. But he was arrested, and “he failed to complete the crime.”
The court’s judgement states, “The crime committed by Mr.Kupych was motivated by his disagreement with the Special Military Operation in the territory of Ukraine. Mr. Kupych was set aggressively against the Russian military”.
At the court hearing, Mr.Ihor Kupych claimed that the evidence against him had been fabricated. For example, “investigators” had taken his buccal epithelium and then transferred it to “evidence”. However, “judge” Khinevych declared these statements “flimsy”. In addition, all the arguments presented by the lawyer were ignored, in particular, about conducting additional examinations.
According to Ms.Olha Skrypnyk, the CHRG Head, the case of Mr.Ihor Kupych is political. And it is used, inter alia, for the propaganda purposes of the occupiers.
