In July 2018, Kateryna Handziuk, a 33 yo Ukrainian activist, was attacked with sulfuric acid near her home in Kherson, a peaceful city far from the war zone at that time.
Initially, she suffered burns covering more than 40% of her body, but by the time of her death, after numerous surgeries, her injuries increased to about 80%. She fought for her life for three months before succumbing to her injuries.
She never knew that if she had survived, she would never have hair again.
Her left arm would have been useless.
Her head wouldn't have moved, as very rigid scars were forming on her neck.
She would have lost her breast.
She would never have been able to walk without stockings or wear clothes with short sleeves, nor could she have exposed her neck. In her final days, her left eye stopped closing due to the scars.
The police were reluctant to investigate the case and seemed to do everything to cover it up. At first, they considered it a domestic conflict and detained an innocent person. Social media was flooded with messages claiming she was a pro-Russian activist who "got what she deserved."
Eventually, the Ukrainian police released the first detained man. While the police pretended to investigate, Handziuk's friends fought for justice.
It was revealed that she was actually a pro-Ukrainian activist murdered by Ukrainian militaries for a reward.
This was an assassination of a Ukrainian citizen by Ukrainian military members (a detail you will not find in the English version of Wikipedia).
Why do we know about this case? Handziuk's friends and family were able to challenge the system and force the police to do their job properly. This is why the initially detained man was released.
As a result, the perpetrators were identified. Shockingly, the organizer and direct executor received only 6.6 and 6 years in prison, respectively. This seems incredibly lenient considering Handziuk suffered for three months without skin. The Ukrainian system took into account that they were "heroes" who had served in eastern Ukraine and were allegedly "fooled" by someone who told them she was a pro-Russian activist.
The first problem here is that not everyone has friends and family capable of pressuring authorities to investigate a crime.
The second problem is that Ukraine allows so cruel treatment of civilians without court and investigation.
For instance, in 2014, many people in Eastern Europe heard the story of a crucified boy in Sloviansk, but there was no evidence, and the story became a symbol of Russian anti-Ukrainian propaganda.
If Ukrainian "heroes" murdered a woman so brutally in a peaceful city, what might they have done in the zone of conflict where civilian law may not be enforced?
We may never know because there's no evidence. Without proof, these potential crimes remain hidden and unacknowledged.
As we know, a crime that isn't proven isn't considered a crime at all.
"First published by me on X Jul 30, 2024
Republished on my blog January 19, 2025"