Oleksandr Demydenko has helped more than 900 Ukrainian refugees return home since the war began two years ago. The 61-year-old volunteer died on April 5, but the family was told three days later — the attorney went to see him — that Alexander had committed suicide, police said.
In October 2023, the Russian activist was arrested in Belgorod, near the border between Ukraine and Russia. It was there – near the difficult but legal humanitarian corridor – that he helped Ukrainian refugees who wanted to return home cross the border. At this point, anyone who wants to return to Ukraine is subject to goodwill Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) considers this desire highly suspect.. Demidenko disappeared, and three days later, he was arrested and charged with drinking alcohol on public roads.
Ten days later, he turned up at the house with FSB agents – a search revealed a charge of possession of explosives. As stated therein Le Monde, These explosives were none other than World War II hand grenades that he was carrying. After seeing her husband showing obvious signs of being beaten – his back and ribs being trampled – Natalya Vishankova took a photo of him and shared the photos. Telegram channel.
The activist has always resented Vladimir Putin's “special military operation.” On February 24, 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Demidenko protested in Belgorod city center, holding only a white paper. Half an hour later, he was arrested but released without charge. Since then, it has welcomed Ukrainian refugees into its home (they can stay longer if they have problems with documents or need to sleep) and send them to the Kolotilovka-Pokhrovka border post. In October, he was arrested near a humanitarian corridor while carrying a stretcher to a sick refugee.
The family never saw him again after the search, and in the few calls they made, the activist reported several episodes of torture. He was transferred to the hospital in March. Alexander's son, Oleg, wrote in a Telegram channel that he did not rule out the possibility that his father ended his own life, because “for such a free man, the thought of being imprisoned was unbearable.” This is not the first time a volunteer has been detained at the Belgorod border. In early February, Nadine Keisler was charged with undermining state security for sharing information on Instagram about the collection of humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian army.
According to VerstkaAn independent Russian publication reported that in 2023 there were 50 cases of people who died in police custody or while awaiting trial.