A court in Odesa has sentenced nine individuals, comprising both military personnel and civilians, for their involvement in illegal detentions and acts of torture against men in the city. These convictions were handed down in September and October 2026.
Investigations revealed that during April and May 2026, the convicted individuals unlawfully apprehended men from the streets of Odesa, forcibly placing them into vehicles and transporting them to military recruitment centers. Victims reported being beaten, threatened, and subjected to tear gas during these detentions. They were also coerced into revealing personal information and details about other conscription-age individuals.
In one incident, a victim was threatened with sexual violence, while another reportedly fainted after exposure to tear gas. Furthermore, during the forced transportation of one individual, 5,200 hryvnias were stolen from his wallet.
All nine defendants admitted their guilt and reached agreements with the prosecution. Six of them received actual prison sentences, with the harshest being seven years and one month. Two others were given two years of restricted service with a 10% salary deduction for state contributions, while one defendant received a five-year prison sentence with a two-year probation period.
Additionally, four of the convicted will face a three-year ban from holding positions in district recruitment centers and participating in mobilization efforts.
There are two more accused individuals in this case, with their trial still ongoing.
Context
- Most complaints regarding violations during mobilization have originated from the Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Lviv, and Transcarpathian regions. This was stated in October by Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, who referred to these areas as the “shameful quartet” leading in complaints year after year.
