Russian authorities have intensified charges against Kyrylo Barannikov, a Crimean resident and a master of sports in orienteering.

Barannikov, illegally detained by Russian security forces under the pretext of his involvement in alleged railway sabotage in Crimea, now faces grave accusations of state treason and participation in a terrorist organization.

The accusations, reported by the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, reveal a disturbing trend of repression and human rights violations in the occupied Crimea.

Barannik’s arrest occurred on 30 May 2023 on the embankment in the occupied city of Simferopol. He was blindfolded and taken for interrogation, during which he reportedly confessed to his sabotage activity in the settlement of Poshtove on 23 February.

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have initiated legal proceedings related to railway sabotage against 137 individuals, with more than half of them being under the age of 20, as per UkrInform.

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