The Ukrainian judiciary has issued the first conviction linked to the holding of secession referendums in the eastern regions of the country that were subsequently annexed by Russia. It concerns a Ukrainian citizen residing in the Kherson region who has been sentenced to five years in prison for drawing up the electoral roll.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has informed about the sentence imposed against a resident of the Berislavsky district who collaborated with the pro-Russian authorities at the beginning of the invasion and later worked in the pro-Russian administration.
She also «drew up the alleged electoral census in this district, urged people to participate in the voting and vote in favor of the aggressor country,» according to the SBU. «He personally went house to house to demand people to mark the ‘necessary’ option on the ballot,» it added.
Berislavsky district was recaptured by Ukrainian troops in October and the suspect was detained by the SBU in its «stabilization campaign.»
The conviction is based on Point 2 of Article 28 and Point 5 of Article 111-1 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code which criminalizes «collaboration». The defendant is cooperating with the investigation, therefore mitigating factors were applied to the sentence which also includes disqualification from public office, civil service and electoral activities for ten years.
Referendums were held in September in Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporiyia oblasts. Shortly after the vote Moscow announced the formal annexation of these territories to the Russian Federation. Only North Korea has recognized the validity of these votes.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
