With the assistance of the Security Service of Ukraine and thanks to the cooperation of the Office of the Prosecutor General and law enforcement agencies of the French Republic, a member of the ‘DNR’ (‘donetsk people’s republic’) terrorist organisation involved in the torture of people at the illegal Donetsk prison Izolyatsia has been detained in France.

According to SSU investigators, between 2017 and 2019, this individual  voluntarily collaborated with the ‘DNR’ terrorist organization.

As the investigation established, he served as an assistant to the head of the illegal prison in the temporarily occupied city of Donetsk. In this ‘position’, he participated in the torture of prisoners, treated them brutally, exerted psychological pressure, and forced them to make ‘necessary’ confessions. At least nine victims have been identified so far.

In 2021, when SSU investigators completed their investigation and referred the case to court, the accused fled Ukraine to France and attempted to obtain refugee status there.

Following appeals from Ukrainian prosecutors, the NGO Truth Hounds, and other civil society organizations, French law enforcement opened its own criminal investigation. In collaboration with Ukrainian prosecutors, they interviewed the victims, and the Ukrainian side, specifically the Security Service, provided additional case materials to strengthen the evidence.

As a result of this joint effort, the torturer was apprehended. At the request of the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office, he was taken into custody and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The investigation is ongoing under the supervision of an investigating judge from a specialized division of the Paris Court.