Wednesday05 February 2025
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"Beaten with rifle butts and kicked": fugitive MP Dmytruk claims he was tortured in an SBU basement (photo)

Member of Parliament Artem Dmytruk claims that at the beginning of the war, he was abducted by SBU officers following a conflict at a checkpoint where he was on duty with a territorial defense group. The agency has not yet commented on the parliamentarian's statements.
"Били руками и ногами": экс-депутат Дмитрук рассказал о пытках в подвале СБУ (фото)

The people's deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, Artem Dmytruk, who was declared internationally wanted after fleeing Ukraine to the UK, claimed that he was tortured by employees of the Security Service of Ukraine at the beginning of the war. He posted a video recounting his experience on his YouTube channel.

Dmytruk asserts that he, along with his aides, was abducted in Odesa on March 4, 2022, following a confrontation with SBU officers at a checkpoint while he was on duty as part of a territorial defense group.

"They put a bag over my head, wrapped my entire head, legs, and arms with tape. They beat me severely with rifles, feet, and hands. I lost consciousness. I woke up on the floor of a bus," the deputy said.

According to him, he was taken to a basement where they began to interrogate him, accusing him of "treason and working for the Russians." Dmytruk claims that he was beaten, stomped on, and had his fingers twisted.

"I lost consciousness several times and fell off the chair. I would come to — and the torture would continue," the deputy stated.

Dmytruk assures that after the interrogation, they pretended to "throw him off the roof" and simulated a shooting. He claims that the torturers aimed to extract information from him that could discredit him to justify his detention.

Then, according to him, he was taken to an SBU gym and forced to say on video that "he would never criticize Zelensky, Ermak, and the government in general again."

"They demanded that I speak loudly and clearly, as if for television broadcasts. Later, they made me say something about Trukhanov and the city council, stating that I would no longer attend meetings. That video exists in the SBU," Dmytruk asserts.

The deputy showed a photo of his face, which he claims was taken after being beaten by security service personnel. The photographs reveal numerous bruises, swelling around the right eye, and a deformed skull. Dmytruk states that he suffered broken nose and ears, as well as split lips and teeth.

Артем Дмитрук, народный депутат, беглый депутат, сбежал из Украины, пытки СБУ, видео Дмитрука Артем Дмитрук, народный депутат, беглый депутат, сбежал из Украины, пытки СБУ, видео Дмитрука

After the torture, the deputy claims he was taken out of the building and "thrown" in the nearest parking lot, with a threat to remain silent about the incident "under the threat of death."

At the time of publication, the SBU had not commented on Dmytruk's statements.

Artem Dmytruk has fled Ukraine: what is known about him

Artem Dmytruk was elected to the Verkhovna Rada as a deputy from the "Servant of the People" party for electoral district No. 133 (Odesa region) in 2019. In 2021, he was officially expelled from the faction.

On February 15, 2024, Dmytruk posted bail for a UOC monk who was suspected of justifying Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

On August 19, deputy Dmytruk criticized the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region and stated that they were giving grounds for another increase in mobilization in the RF Armed Forces. After that, he complained that he was receiving death threats.

On August 25, media reports emerged that the deputy might have left Ukraine for Moldova. On the same day, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported that Artem Dmytruk had been informed of the suspicion of beating a soldier and law enforcement officer.

On August 29, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation declared Dmytruk internationally wanted.

On September 24, media reported that the people's deputy Dmytruk was detained in London. On the same day, the deputy confirmed his detention by British law enforcement. He stated that after his arrest, a court hearing took place and posted a photo with his son captioned "It was a tough day."

On September 26, the Office of the Prosecutor General announced that they were preparing documents for the extradition of the fugitive deputy Dmytruk.

On October 10, the Verkhovna Rada excluded Dmytruk from the committee on law enforcement issues.

On November 14, Dmytruk gave an interview to Russia Today, accusing Vladimir Zelensky of instigating the war against Ukraine and labeling the breakthrough of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region as "the president's ambition."