Demidenko Aleksandr Nikolaevich

On October 17, 2023, in the Belgorod region, at the checkpoint in the village of Kolotilovka - the only border crossing from the Russian Federation to Ukraine that remained open - a pensioner, Alexander Demidenko, was detained. The man helped carry a Ukrainian woman with cancer across the border on a stretcher. As volunteers who worked that day told, Demidenko left the checkpoint in his car accompanied by two UAZ vehicles. Later, the man stopped making contact. The man disappeared for three days, and only on October 20 did police officers from Shebekino, together with representatives of the "West-Akhmat" regiment, bring Demidenko home. There were signs of beatings on his body. A search was conducted in the house, as a result of which a RG-42 grenade, a grenade fuse and a mine fuse were allegedly found. Arseny's wife was told that they had found 'some kind of rocket launcher or self-defense pistol,' but she herself had not seen these items. The search protocol also disappeared. A criminal case was opened against Demidenko under the article on illegal arms trafficking. After the search, Demidenko was arrested for 10 days allegedly due to refusing a medical examination. The next day he was called in for questioning and detained again under the same article, but this time for 30 days. The man was placed in the IVS of the Belgorod District, but on November 5, volunteers who brought him food were told that he was not there. It was only on November 9 that it became known that on November 1, the Shebekino District Court had placed the volunteer in custody for two months. On November 16, it became known that a second criminal case was opened against Demidenko under the article on treason. Security forces accused the volunteer of passing certain 'secret information' to Ukrainians. On April 8, 2024, Demidenko's wife and son were told that Alexander had died in SIZO No. 3 in Belgorod. According to the statement of the Federal Penitentiary Service, the man committed suicide, and the forensic examination did not reveal signs of violent death.