Russian occupiers sentenced in absentia the activist and transgender woman Lilia Khvylka from temporarily occupied Crimea
In occupied Kerch, an illegitimate “court” has sentenced activist and transgender woman Liliya Khvylka in absentia to five and a half years in prison, accusing her of “disseminating false information” about the occupying army and “possessing drugs,” according to the “Suspilne Crimea.”
Liliya Khvylka. Source: Suspilne Crimea“But if there is even the slightest chance to take up the time and working resources of the occupation courts and prosecutors, we must do it,” Khvylka said.
At the same time, the activist noted that the “verdict” from the occupation court has taken a toll on her emotional and psychological state, but she plans to focus on it less.
Russian authorities and their collaborators charged Khvylka over an Instagram post about Russia’s rocket attack on the Kramatorsk railway station on April 8, 2022, which killed 61 people and wounded more than 120. She was detainedі after posting it.
When Khvylka left the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, she was already under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor, which she cut off herself. She had to travel through Russia and Belarus with only her Ukrainian birth certificate. Volunteers she found online helped her.
Khvylka is now trying to get permission to attend court hearings remotely.
According to the NGO Projector, at least 50 people who have fled occupied territories have experienced torture and violence because of their LGBT identity. Seven victims have filed complaints with law enforcement agencies, and 13 are witnesses to these crimes.
ZMINA had previously reportedі that Liliya Khvylka, who is currently living in a shelter in Germany, said that for over half a year, she has been subjected to psychological pressure, surveillance, cyberattacks, and transphobia from other residents of the shelter and individuals within Berlin’s LGBTIQ+ community.
