Kateryna Handziuk case: chronology of key events

July 31, 2018 – in Kherson, activist and city council official Kateryna Handziuk was attacked: a liter of concentrated sulfuric acid was poured on her. She suffered burns over 40% of her body.

1. November 4, 2018 – Kateryna died in the hospital after more than 10 surgeries.
2. November 2018 – the perpetrators and organizer of the attack were detained. According to the investigation, the crime was ordered by the head of one of the regional councils.
3. 2019 – five perpetrators of the attack pleaded guilty and received sentences ranging from 3 to 6.5 years.
4. 2020 – the court began considering the case against the organizer and alleged customer of the attack, the head of the regional council Vladyslav Manger and the assistant to MP Oleksiy Levin (Moskalenko). They are charged with organizing a contract killing.
5. June 26, 2023 – the court of first instance found both defendants guilty.
   • Manger and Levin were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
   • The court also ruled to recover UAH 15 million in non-pecuniary damage in favor of Kateryna’s family.
6. Since November 2023, the appeal proceedings have been ongoing.
   • Despite the considerable amount of evidence already examined, the defense regularly files motions that lead to delays in the trial.
   • The court is examining the investigative experiments for the second time, and a number of repeated hearings have been scheduled.
   • The family and the victim’s lawyers insist that reasonable time limits be met and that the proceedings be completed within a reasonable time.

Result:

The deadline for bringing the perpetrators to justice is 2028. If the process is delayed, the verdict may be overturned due to the expiration of the time limit.