Court Imposes Pretrial Restrictions on Former Prisoner of War Matyushchenko in Torture Case
The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv ruled to remand former prisoner of war Dmytro Matyushchenko in custody for 60 days without the possibility of bail.
The serviceman is accused of collaboration and cruel treatment of other Ukrainian prisoners while held in Russian camps in the occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast.
The court fully granted the prosecution’s motion, leaving the suspect no alternative in the form of bail.
According to the prosecution, while in captivity, Dmytro Matyushchenko cooperated with the administration of the Russian penal colony.
The occupiers appointed him as the so-called “barracks supervisor,” after which he began committing unlawful acts against other Ukrainian soldiers.
Prosecutors allege that the detainee forced prisoners to stand on the parade ground for hours without warm winter clothing, resulting in severe frostbite, and also punished them with grueling physical exertion.
“Dmytro Matyushchenko is accused of causing physical and mental suffering to other prisoners of war while they were held in Russian captivity in the occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast. Prosecutors in the case allege that he was appointed by the prison administration as the barracks supervisor and forced subordinate prisoners of war to go out onto the parade ground without warm clothing, which resulted in frostbite, and also punished them with physical exertion,” according to the indictment.
The defense categorically denies all charges and has asked the court to impose a less severe preventive measure—24-hour house arrest or a personal pledge.
The attorneys emphasized that concerns about the defendant fleeing abroad or exerting pressure on witnesses are completely unfounded.
They drew the judge’s attention to the fact that after his release from enemy captivity, the serviceman did not go into hiding but immediately returned to his duties at his military unit.
During the court hearing, Dmytro Matyushchenko himself declared his innocence and described in detail the locations where he was held in Russian captivity.
He emphasized that he was returned to Ukraine as part of an official prisoner exchange that took place on March 19, 2025. Over the course of three years, he was held in some of the harshest detention facilities for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
This was reported by a Suspilne correspondent from the courtroom.
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