In Kyiv, the ex-head of the torture prison “Island” created by the militants of the DPR was detained

In Kyiv, law enforcement officers detained Denis Kulikovsky nicknamed Palych. He is called the main suspect in the torture of prisoners of the Donetsk prison "Island".

The detention of Palych, who led the prison, was reported by a former prisoner of Donetsk prison, Ukrainian journalist and writer Stanislav Aseev. The prosecutor’s office and the SBU confirmed the information about the detention.

Kulikovsky was on the wanted list of the National Police. A criminal case has been instituted against him under Art. 149 (human trade), Art. 258-3 (creation of a terrorist group or terrorist organization), Art. 260 (creation of illegal armed groups), Art. 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The Isolation prison gained fame thanks to the publications of Aseev. This institution was created after the capture of Donetsk by pro -Russian armed groups in 2014. In prison prisoners, among whom there are Ukrainian military, are tortured. In the regular tortures of prisoners who lasted several years, Palych personally took part, former prisoners say. Before going to the service of the DPR militants, Palych worked in penitentiary institutions.

According to approximate data, 3,500 people went through the Isolation prison, of which 1600 are civilians, Focus notes .

In February 2018, Palycha was removed from the leadership of “isolation”.

The journalist of the Ukrainian Radio Liberty Service Stanislav Aseev was detained by the DPR militants on charges of espionage in May 2017. He spent 2.5 years in prison. Aseev described Palych as a "sadist-psychopath", "who did not feel any compassion for the people whom he tortured and sexually raped." The journalist was released as part of the exchange of prisoners and held persons at the end of December 2019.

Human rights activists note that the Criminal Code of Ukraine over seven years of conflict in the east of the country has not been adapted to new realities. It does not yet provide liability for crimes against humanity, and the composition of war crimes does not comply with international law, writes HromadSke.

In May, the Verkhovna Rada approved the corresponding bill, but he was not signed by the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.