Detention: On May 9, 2022, Pavlo was abducted by Russian military forces. Initially, he was held in a temporary detention facility in Kherson, where, according to his statements and testimonies from relatives, he was subjected to systematic torture, beatings, and electric shocks to force a confession. A few months later, he was illegally transferred to occupied Crimea and subsequently to Rostov-on-Don. Russian investigators accused Pavlo of preparing an 'act of international terrorism,' alleging he planned to blow up the route of a Russian military patrol on May 9, 2022, in occupied Kherson.

Sentence: On November 30, 2023, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Pavlo Zaporozhets guilty under the article on 'international terrorism' and sentenced him to 12 years of imprisonment. The first 3 years are to be served in prison, with the remainder in a strict regime colony. The Russian prosecution requested a 13-year sentence. The defense argued that Pavlo is a prisoner of war under the Geneva Convention, making the criminal prosecution unlawful. The court dismissed these arguments. In May 2025, the Russian appellate court upheld the sentence, after which lawyers announced their intention to appeal to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation with a repeat cassation complaint.

Pavlo Pavlovych Zaporozhets was born on May 19, 1990, in Kherson. He is a veteran of the Anti-Terrorist Operation and a former serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After completing his service, he worked as a lawyer at the State Tax Service. Following the occupation of Kherson by Russian forces, he remained in the city.

Pavlo Zaporozhets became one of the first Ukrainian citizens prosecuted by Russia under the 'international terrorism' article after the full-scale invasion began. During the trial, he repeatedly stated that he had no intention of harming civilians and was carrying out a combat mission against the occupying state's military forces. Lawyer Oleksii Ladin emphasized that such actions are governed by international humanitarian law and cannot be classified as a terrorist act.

During court sessions, Pavlo also described the torture he endured after detention: beatings, electric shocks, and being forced to sign documents without being allowed to read them. These claims were included in the defense's case materials, but Russian investigative bodies did not conduct an effective investigation.

After the sentence was passed, Pavlo Zaporozhets was transferred to the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service system. According to his defenders and human rights organizations, while in Russian detention, he repeatedly reported the consequences of the torture he suffered after being abducted in occupied Kherson. Despite numerous appeals from lawyers, the Russian side did not conduct an effective investigation into the violence claims. Human rights advocates stress that evidence obtained under duress cannot be used as proof under international law.

As of July 12, 2026, Pavlo Zaporozhets remains unlawfully detained in Russia.

Information sourced from: ZMINA, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Center for Civil Liberties, Krym.Realii.

Photo: Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners.

Last updated: 12.07.2026.