AJ
A driver that fled from the TCC and hit a policewoman in Kharkiv on February 16 was held in custody on February 18 following a decision by the Novobavarsky District Court.
According to the report, the suspect is 41-year-old businessman Oleksandr Sidenko, will be held in custody for 60 days without bail, having been charged with violence against a law enforcement officer, which is punishable by a restriction of liberty for a term of up to five years, or imprisonment for the same term.
On February 16, during a driver’s documents check in Kharkiv, it turned out that Sidenko was wanted as someone evading mobilisation, but after demanding that he be taken to the TCC and the SP, and despite the request to stay in place, Sidenko deliberately started the car, hitting a police woman, which had been caught on cameras.
According to Prosecutor Olena Samarska: “The lawful demands of the police officers were not fulfilled, that is, he disregarded the authority of the National Police under martial law, and decided to inflict bodily harm on a law enforcement officer.”
Sidenko said: “I will apologise to the policewoman at the first opportunity – I sincerely regret what happened there – in any other situation in which I would not have had to defend my life, I would not in any way put not only her, but any other person in danger.”
According to the records, Sindenko had explained that he had escaped from the alert group with fear, because six months ago, representatives of the TCC had beaten him and kept him in their basement.
Sidenko said: “I miraculously managed to get out of this institution, I was asked to sign a statement stating that I have no complaints against the TCC employees – if something like this suddenly happens, I wouldn’t want to experience it again.”
Novobavarsk District Prosecutor Olena Samarska said: “If he files a corresponding complaint about any wrongdoings committed against him in the past, this statement will be considered in accordance with the requirements of the current legislation and, in my opinion, this will fall within the competence of the specialised defence prosecutor’s office.”
Spokeswoman for the Kharkiv Regional TCC Olena Rodina said that the suspect wasn’t taken to the military centre, but at the same time he violated military registration because he did not appear for the medical commission.
When asked in court whether the attempted escape was because Sidenko had violated the mobilisation rules and was wanted, Sidenko replied that he didn’t want to violate any rules, it didn’t scare him, but he was scared of the actions they take against the people they communicate with.
Prosecutor Samarska then asked whether Sidenko knew that he was wanted, to which Sidenko replied that he didn’t, and when asked by the Judge what his Reserve+ application score was, Sidenko responded saying that he didn’t use Reserve+ so he didn’t have a score.
According to Sidenko, representatives of the TCC tried to force their way into his car during a conversation before he had run over the policewoman.
Sidenko said: “He began to forcefully pull the glass, which was about to crack, when the glass wouldn’t budge, he took a pepper spray from his pocket, aimed it at the hole between the glass and the door, and the stream of pepper spray hit the left side of my face – I completely lost sight in my left eye.
“Reflexively, out of fear – the car was already running – I decided to drive a little forward to protect myself, running away from the employee, trying to protect my life,” Sidenko explained.
Having driven one wheel onto the sidewalk where the policewoman was standing, Sidenko saw in passing that she was also frightened by his movement towards her.
“It was slippery under the tree, she lost her balance and, slipping, she rested her hands on the hood of the car, then after that, she pushed away from it, gathered herself and fell next to the tree – it took me a single second to understand that if I continued moving, I wouldn’t harm her.”
Investigators are still reviewing the video from the body-worn cameras of the police and the TCC to confirm the suspects version of events, Prosecutor Samarska said.
Sidenko was placed into a pre-trial detention centre for two months without the right to post bail.
The defence of the suspect, who has a minor child in his care, asked the court to impose a preventative measure in the form of house arrest or personal bond, and Sidenko’s lawyer, Oleksandr Diaghilev, noted that there were plans to appeal the decision within five days.
