French authorities have detained a Ukrainian man suspected of involvement in torture at an illegal prison in Donetsk, Ukraine. The arrest was announced on May 8 by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Ruslan Kravchenko, who detailed the suspect’s alleged actions during his time working with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.
The suspect reportedly collaborated with the so-called Ministry of State Security of the Donetsk People’s Republic between 2017 and 2019. According to testimonies from former inmates, he served as an assistant to the prison’s director and was implicated in acts of torture, psychological abuse, and coercion of confessions from detainees. Kravchenko noted that at least nine victims have been identified in the investigation.
In 2021, following the completion of investigations in Ukraine, the case was forwarded to the courts. However, the accused fled to France and sought asylum there. After Ukrainian prosecutors, alongside the NGO Truth Hounds and other organizations, alerted French authorities, a criminal investigation was initiated in France.
French law enforcement collaborated with Ukrainian prosecutors to interview victims and gather additional evidence to support the case. As a result of this cooperation, the suspect has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The investigation is currently being overseen by a judge from a specialized unit of the Paris court system, as stated by Kravchenko.
A Ukrainian man has been arrested in France for alleged involvement in torture at a Donetsk prison. The case highlights international efforts to address war crimes and human rights abuses stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.