Belarusian Native Sentenced in Absentia to 10 Years for Organizing Illegal Referendum on Annexation of Kherson Region to Russia

The court delivered the verdict in early October on charges of collaborationist activities (Part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — voluntary assumption of a position in illegal authorities established in the temporarily occupied territory), Radio Svoboda reports.

In September 2022, when Kherson was under Russian occupation, Lyudmila Hrysevich headed one of the precinct election commissions established in this city by the Russian administration to hold the so-called referendum on the annexation of the Kherson region to Russia. Her deputy was her husband, Dmytro. Following the results of the illegal vote, Lyudmila Hrysevich signed a protocol, according to which allegedly 87.05% of Kherson residents supported joining Russia.

The investigation revealed that for her work, she received 40,000 Russian rubles, which by the end of September 2022 was equivalent to almost $700.

In addition, as witnesses testified in court, Lyudmila Hrysevich, along with her husband Dmytro, accompanied by Russian military personnel, traveled to settlements in the region, forcing people to vote in the so-called referendum.

Another witness noted that Hrysevich also offered her to join the election commission. According to her, Hrysevich treated Ukrainians "negatively, calling them 'ukropy' (a derogatory term)."

After the Ukrainian army liberated Kherson from Russian occupation, Hrysevich and her husband fled to Russian-occupied territory. They were declared wanted. A similar case was also initiated against her husband Dmytro.

What is known about the Hrysevichs

In the text of the suspicion, published on the official website of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, Hrysevich's place of birth is not specified. It is indicated that she is a native of Belarus.

Her name did not appear in open sources or among activists of the local Belarusian organization. This November, Lyudmila Hrysevich will turn 72. She lived most of her life in Ukraine and held a Ukrainian passport.

Before the war, the Hrysevich family had a private business and earned money from projects funded by public funds. Their company was a contractor for controlling the quality, volumes, and deadlines of construction and installation work on various objects.

One of the largest pre-war agreements was a contract with Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University for technical supervision of the major renovation of the main academic building and the landscaping of its adjacent territory.

Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson during the counteroffensive in autumn 2022. Since then, Russian forces have not stopped shelling the city.

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