Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation completed the pre-trial investigation in the case of torture and systemic violations in the country’s largest remand prison — the Kyiv Remand Prison.
Indictments in six criminal proceedings have been sent to the court. 14 people became extras in these cases: five inmates, seven employees of the pre-trial detention center and two medical workers of the branch of the Center for Health Care of the State Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and the Kyiv region.
The SBI, in cooperation with the State Criminal Enforcement Service, conducted a nationwide operation to combat torture and ill-treatment in places of detention. As part of this work, the “criminal” vertical in the Kyiv SIZO was destroyed. It was headed by a so-called “watcher”, who involved part of the prison staff and doctors working under the control of criminality in the functioning of the scheme.
In November 2024, the SBI together with the Ministry of Justice initiated personnel changes that effectively stopped the work of this network, although some employees continued to be under its influence. In December of the same year, in the promenade of the detention center, a case was recorded when a “watcher” and his entourage brutally beat one of the prisoners. He later died from his injuries.
The administration of the pre-trial detention center knew about the incident, but tried to hide it: documents were forged, a decision was made to isolate the victim without providing proper medical care. He was taken to the hospital only the next day, and on December 28 he died.
According to the results of the investigation, cases were sent to the court against three employees of the pre-trial detention center and two doctors under the articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- hr. 3 Art. 365 — excess of power or official authority;
- hr. 3 Art. 367 – official negligence;
- hr. 3 Art. 135 — abandonment in danger;
- hr. 2 Art. 139 – failure to provide assistance;
- hr. 1 Art. 366 – official forgery;
- hr. 1 Art. 358 — forgery of an official document;
- hr. 2 Art. 28, Part 3 of Art. 27 — complicity in a crime by a group of persons.
Sanctions under these articles include up to 10 years of imprisonment. Procedural management of cases is carried out by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
