The Military Court of Appeal of Russian Federation upheld the sentences passed upon Mr. Volodymyr Kryvtsun and Mr. Vitalii, residents of Berdiansk, by the Southern Area Military Court of the Russian Federation who were accused by occupiers of alleged attempted assassination of Aleksandr Saulenko, occupational “mayor”.
According to the CHRG, Vitalii Rastorhuiev is held now at Novocherkassk Pre-Trial Detention Centre no 3, waiting for transferring when the last appeal was dismissed.
In April, the Southern Area Military Court in Rostov-na-Donu is known to have passed a sentence upon Vitalii Rastorhuiev and Volodymyr Kryvtsun.
Volodymyr Kryvtsun was sentenced to 11 years and Vitalii Rastorhuiev – to 12 years. Both were charged with violation of RF CC Article 30-3, Article 361-1 (“preparation to act of international terror”).
To remind: Vitalii Rastorhuiev was detained by the occupation authorities in the city of Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Region, on July 13, 2022, approximately at 02:00 – 03:00pm. He was detained together with his friend Volodymyr Kryvtsun on charges of having allegedly planted an explosive device in the car of Berdiansk occupation administration official. On the same day, about 04:00pm the armed people came to Mr. Rastorhuiev’s home and started searching. Some time they were kept in the city police unit building.
As the CHRG found out, in June 2023, Volodymyr and Vitalii were moved to Simferopol and kept in the Pre-Trial Detention Centre no 2. The occupation “investigation’ bodies accused the men of alleged attempted assassination of Aleksandr Saulenko, Berdiansk occupation “mayor”. They were charged with violating RF CC Article 30-3, Article 361-1.
When Mr. Rastorhuiev had been moved to Simferopol, “Kievskiy District Court” of Simferopol decided on his keeping in custody. It is worth noting that the “court” decision stated Vitalii’s detention on December 29, 2022, though in fact he had been abducted in July 2022.
On September 4, 2023, Vitalii Rastorhuiev and Volodymyr Kryvtsun were transported to Rostov-na-Donu and kept in Pre-Trial Detention Centre no 1.
On January 9, 2024, the Southern Area Military Court extended the detention periods of Vitalii and Volodymyr till May 2, 2024.
