Court Imposes Preventive Measures on Ruslan Halimzanov in Case of Attack on Military Personnel

On Wednesday, April 8, a court session took place in Kharkiv where preventive measures were determined for 56-year-old Ruslan Halimzanov, who is suspected of attacking a worker from the Territorial Center for Recruitment (TCK) with a knife. The court decided to place Halimzanov under round-the-clock house arrest for a period of 60 days, as reported by the Ukrinform news agency.

According to the court's decision, the suspect is obliged to fulfill procedural duties, including appearing upon summons to the pre-trial investigation authorities. This decision elicited various reactions from participants in the proceedings, particularly the prosecutor representing the state prosecution, who requested that Halimzanov be held in custody. The prosecutor justified this request by citing the severity of the crime, the heightened public danger posed by the suspect, and the risk of him potentially evading pre-trial investigation authorities.

On the other hand, Halimzanov's lawyer requested the establishment of bail, which Halimzanov's relatives and friends are willing to pay. The lawyer also expressed disagreement with the phrasing in the suspicion, arguing that during the incident, the injured TCK employee did not stop Halimzanov or check his documents. The defense emphasized that this constitutes a violation of the procedures that TCK groups should adhere to.

“All five witnesses, other TCK employees, and the police officer who was with the alert group unanimously stated that they saw a man who began to flee, apparently upon seeing them. They chased him: first two, then another two, and then they arrived in a van. Where are the words that the victim stopped my client? Where is the attempt to explain that they are conducting mobilization activities? Where is the request to present military registration documents, the attempt to serve a summons? A bus stopped, people jumped out and began chasing my client. Alerts are not done this way,” the lawyer commented to reporters.

The prosecutor, for his part, pointed out that the motive behind the suspect's actions was to evade mobilization measures. It was later revealed that Halimzanov did not possess military registration documents, which prompted the pursuit, the prosecutor emphasized. He also reported that the victim is currently in serious condition.

Ruslan Halimzanov, commenting on the situation, wished the victim a speedy recovery. “I am sorry that this happened... I express my wishes for the victim to recover soon. I want him to get better. I have no other words,” the suspect said.

Additionally, Halimzanov noted that he needs to take care of his mother, as they have no other relatives. “I need to be with my mom; I need to support and take care of her. Unfortunately, our family consists of only two people: me and my mom; we have no one else. No one else can take care of her. I do not intend to flee anywhere; I will comply with all court requirements. I cannot leave my mom,” Halimzanov stated.

According to information, the suspect is a native of Kharkiv and is of Tatar nationality. He has not worked for the past two years and lives with his 77-year-old mother. It is noteworthy that the man has not been previously held criminally responsible.

On April 6, police reported the arrest of a man who attacked a TCK military personnel during mobilization activities. Law enforcement indicated that Halimzanov, attempting to avoid a document check, began to flee. During his escape, he threw two training grenades towards the military personnel, fired two shots from a pneumatic pistol, and inflicted a knife wound to the abdomen of one of the soldiers before disappearing from the scene.

Halimzanov was arrested the same day, and a criminal case was opened against him under part 3 of Article 350 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for liability for threats or violence against a public official or a citizen performing a public duty. The suspect faces a potential prison sentence of up to 12 years.