The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (PGO) has finished a pre-trial investigation into the case against Head of Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manher and Oleksiy Levin, an adviser to a member of the regional council, who are suspected of being engaged in organizing an attack on activist Kateryna Handziuk, the SBU said.

"All files are ready, the SBU employees did their job professionally and collected necessary evidence in order to clearly prove the prosecution's position in court. I hope the case will be considered in the first turn. The perpetrators and instigators of the murder of Kateryna Handziuk will be punished just as they deserve," Chief of the SBU Ivan Bakanov said.

According to the investigation, Manher is suspected of organizing an attack with infliction of serious bodily harm to Handziuk, which caused her death, in collusion with Levin.

"Manher and Levin are suspected of having committed crimes under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the SBU said.

The investigators have notified the suspects, their defense teams, the victims and their representatives of the completion of the pre-trial investigations. All of the sides have received access to the files of the case.

"As soon as the sides familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case, they will be sent to court for consideration," it said.