The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv has ruled to detain Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn until March 22, with the option of bail set at 30 million UAH.
The preventive measure was imposed within a criminal case involving allegations under Part 2 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (organizing the illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine), which carries a penalty of five to seven years in prison and a ban on holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for up to three years.
According to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), in the summer of 2022, Markushyn illegally crossed Ukraine’s border to go on vacation. Additionally, media reports allege that Markushyn facilitated the illegal border crossing of other individuals, six of whom never returned to Ukraine. Among them is Markushyn’s associate, Serhii Rosstalnyi, who reportedly emigrated to the United States permanently.
It was also revealed that Markushyn may have forged documents from the Ridne Selo charity fund to enable draft evaders to leave Ukraine. This claim was made by the fund’s founder, Andrii Pomazan, who filed a criminal complaint with the SBI, accusing Markushyn of falsifying the fund’s request for volunteer departures.