Russian authorities unlawfully hold a former kindergarten employee Olha Syrotenko from Enerhodar in a pretrial detention center in Mariupol
Russian forces abducted Olha Syrotenko, a resident of Enerhodar and a former kindergarten employee, from her home in December 2024. She was later taken to a pretrial detention center in Mariupol, where she remains. She has been accused of “espionage” and “forming a terrorist group,” her brother, Yevhenii, said during an event titled “Russia’s Violations at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant: Arbitrary Detention, Nuclear Risk, and Accountability”, ZMINA reports.
Olha SyrotenkoHe said his sister worked for many years as a facilities manager at Kindergarten No. 5.
In December 2024, FSB officers abducted her from her apartment.
“I learned about it from relatives who could not get in touch with her. They went to the occupation “police” and filed a missing person report,” her brother said.
The family was later told she was accused of forming a terrorist group and manufacturing explosives.
She was later transferred from Enerhodar to Mariupol, where she remains.
“Russian authorities continue the pretrial investigation in her case. There is no evidence. They are not letting Olha go home“, Yevhenii added.
With financial support from civil society organizations, the family was able to hire a lawyer who represented Olha’s interests in “court.” The defense filed motions to replace her detention with round-the-clock house arrest. However, the occupation “court” refused to release her from custody, arguing that she could flee or attempt to contact Ukrainian intelligence services.
“They claim to fear her actions, even though she is an ordinary educator who has spent her whole life working at a kindergarten and has nothing to do with the military. I am here to speak about the atrocities taking place in occupied Enerhodar. The Russians are doing whatever they want“, her brother said.
Yevhenii said the lawyer managed to arrange the delivery of parcels containing food and medicines to the pretrial detention center and to secure a visit between Olha and her relatives.
The lawyer was later removed from Syrotenko’s case over alleged dual citizenship. Olha is now without legal representation.
“I am worried about my sister, as her health is deteriorating and there is no proper medical care in the detention center“, Yevhenii added.
On February 28, 2025, Enerhodar mayor Dmytro Orlov reported the abduction of 58-year-old Olha Syrotenko. He said Russian authorities accused her of “subversive activities against the authorities”, “espionage,” and “forming a terrorist group.”
Follow ZMINA on X, BlueSky, and LinkedIn for daily human rights coverage from Ukraine – we invite you to share your feedback on what you’d like to see more of in our survey here.
