Kudzhanov Artyom Ibragimovich

Russian security forces came to search the home of the Kuzhanov family in the occupied village of Bagachka in the Sviatohirsk district of the Luhansk region on October 28, 2022. They found military uniform belonging to 20-year-old Kirill Kudzhanov, who had recently completed his mandatory service, and allegedly found something suspicious on his younger brother's phone - 19-year-old Artem. Both brothers were taken to the police station, where they were likely tortured. Kirill was released a few days later. The family did not know anything about Artem's fate for more than a year. In the summer of 2024, it became known that he was charged with knowingly false reporting of a terrorist attack, but the charge was later reclassified to espionage. According to the Russian investigation, from July to August 2022, Artem "voluntarily collected information about the locations of Russian servicemen on the territory of the Luhansk People's Republic." "He transmitted data to Ukrainian special services through an internet messenger." On February 6, 2024, the 50-year-old father of Artyom Ibragim Kuzhanov was abducted from the hospital. He was also tortured, electrocuted. But after some time they were released home. Later, Ibragim Kuzhanov was detained on charges of participating in hostilities in the Luhansk region as part of the Aydar battalion. During the investigation, he was released on his own recognizance. The court found Ibragim Kudzhanov guilty and sentenced him to 5.5 years in a strict regime colony. The date of the verdict and which court issued it are unknown. The man was taken into custody in the courtroom. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force. No later than April 8, 2025, the Supreme Court of the Lugansk People's Republic found Artem Kudzhanov guilty and sentenced him to 12 years in a strict regime colony. There is no information about appealing the verdict.