Court remands in custody serviceman Hnezdilov, who publicly goes AWOL
On November 19, the Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the detention of Serhii Hnezdilov, a soldier of the 56th Brigade. He is suspected of desertion.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Hromadske.
Thus, the judges rejected the appeal of Hnezdilov's lawyers against the decision of the Pecherskyi District Court, which sent the soldier to the military prison until December 12.
It is reported that acquaintances, journalists and members of the movement for the establishment of clear terms of military service came to the court to support Hnezdilov. They were holding posters with appeals. There were also people willing to take Hnezdilov on bail, but the court rejected their petitions as well.
Lawyer Oleksandr Shadrin asked to change the measure of restraint to one that does not involve detention, and to recognize the detention of the military man as illegal. Shadrin reminded that the issue of clear terms of service has not yet been resolved, while Hnezdilov has been in the army for 5 years. In addition, he will soon turn 25, which means he will reach the age of conscription.
The judge emphasized that, according to the law, the court of appeal cannot determine the illegality of detention, as it is the responsibility of the investigating judge.
The soldier himself said that he faces up to 12 years in prison: "Is this gratitude for military service?" Hnezdilov also suggests that if he had not made public statements, law enforcement would probably not have opened a case.
"I've been in the military prison for a month and a half. Not a single investigative action, not a single interrogation. Investigators do not come to me. This is all to prevent a person from speaking further," the suspect said. He also reminded that he wants to return to service, but with clear deadlines.
The prosecutor said that the Pecherskyi District Court had found the suspicion to be reasonable. He also believes that detention is necessary.
Those willing to bail him out characterized Serhii as "his best friend" and "a responsible person who can be relied on." They also said that they were honored by the request. Among the guarantors were friends, lawyers, and public activists. In total, more than ten people.
What preceded it?
As a reminder, on September 21, 2024, the soldier wrote on Facebook that he had gone AWOL from his unit to draw attention to the need to set terms of service for mobilized soldiers.
"The absence of clear terms of service contributes to 'black demobilization': marriages to pensioners with disabilities were once a meme, but now they are very common, divorcing wives to get sole custody of their children, divorcing their own parents to get care for their mother or father, going AWOL. There is a lot to learn from history, but unfortunately, we do not learn the lessons of history.
The government is still incapable of a serious dialog with society and intolerant of the failure to fulfill civic duty by a wide range of citizens. Instead of the doctrine that "fighting is the duty of every citizen," the government proposes to appoint those who were caught on the streets as defenders for an indefinite period of time," he explained.
The 56th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade ordered an internal investigation.
Subsequently, Serhii Hnezdilov, a soldier of the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, who publicly reported on AWOL, was served with a suspicion of desertion.
Hnezdilov took part in battles in the Donetsk region, including Pisky and Bakhmut. He is also the founder of the cultural festival VydelkaFest in his hometown of Vilkovo in the Odesa region and hosts the Hromadske podcast "++ Podcast", where he talks to the military and raises the issue of militarisation of society.
Censor.NET previously published an interview with Hnezdilov.
