MIHR: Russians accuse teenagers in Berdiansk of sabotage - they face 10 to 20 years in prison

MIHR: Russians accuse teenagers in Berdiansk of sabotage - they face 10 to 20 years in prison

On May 24, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced charges against 16-year-old Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Hanganov for allegedly preparing sabotage on the railway. The teenagers live in the temporarily occupied Berdiansk and have been persecuted by Russian law enforcement agencies since September 30, 2022.

This was reported by the Media Initiative for Human Rights.

In September, security forces kidnapped Tihran Ohannisian and "interrogated" him for five days with beatings and electric shocks. They demanded that he confess to preparing sabotage at the Melitopol Railroad. The family knew nothing about the child's whereabouts.

Five days later, after media coverage, Tihran was released on the condition that he report to "law enforcement agencies" every day. Mykyta Hanhanov was also obliged to report to the "investigators" in the same way.

Tihran Ohannisian lives with his grandmother. When his parents tried to come back for him from Germany and take him out of the temporarily occupied territory, the family was arrested in Taganrog, Russia.

On May 24, both teenagers were charged under Article 281 of the Russian Criminal Code, which provides for 10 to 20 years in prison.

In the indictment, the investigator noted that in early September 2022, the children allegedly "conspired to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine" and "jointly damaged the railroad tracks to prevent the Russian Armed Forces from receiving supplies."

The assigned lawyers do not defend the teenagers, and one of them suggests that the teenagers testify against themselves.

"We can assume that in the near future, the children will face arrest and a show trial, which is planned to be organised by the Russian authorities seconded to Berdiansk," the MIHR notes.

The organisation calls on the international community to take all possible measures to release Ohannisian and Hanhanov from persecution by the Russian authorities as soon as possible and to ensure their unhindered travel to the territory controlled by the government of Ukraine or to third countries.