12:22 16.01.2018

PGO includes telephone intercepts in case against Col. Bezyazykov, next hearing on Jan 22

2 min read
PGO includes telephone intercepts in case against Col. Bezyazykov, next hearing on Jan 22

Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky District Court has included new materials – intercepts of telephone conversations – to the case against Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel Ivan Bezyazykov, who is accused of collaborating with Russian special forces, Ukraine's TV Channel 5 has reported.

"According to prosecutors, the recordings show how the Ukrainian officer started working for the enemy during war. In some of the recordings he is a participant, in others he is talked about," the report said.

Bezyazykov and his lawyers deny wrongdoing. The Ukrainian officer has asked for protection for his family.

"There is a series of conversations that I would call 'an attempt by militants to discredit the prisoner.' They not only tried to discredit Bezyazykov. There were also ordinary soldiers, persons whom militants regarded as super prisoners, that is, those who could be exchanged for 15 prisoners held by Ukraine," defense lawyer Oleh Veremeyenko said.

Ukraine's SBU Security Service detained Bezyazykov on suspicion of cooperating with Russian special services. Deputy chief of the SBU Main Investigative Department Vitaliy Mayakov said in December the SBU had collected evidence that he cooperated with Russian special services.

Bezyazykov is a regular officer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He had headed the intelligence unit of the former eighth army corps, which was disbanded in March 2015.

Bezyazykov was freed from captivity in Donbas on July 5, 2016. He was taken captive in August 2014.

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