Suspect in murder of Odesa activist Hanul detained – interior minister
Law enforcement officers have detained a man suspected of murdering activist Demian Hanul.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced this in a post on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.
"Odesa: a man suspected of murdering an activist has been detained. In the apartment where he was hiding, a weapon was found, which was likely used to commit the crime. I thank everyone who contributed to identifying and detaining the suspected shooter. Details will be provided later by the police," Klymenko wrote.
On March 14, a shooting occurred in downtown Odesa, resulting in the death of a man.
According to local Telegram channels and MP Oleksii Honcharenko, the deceased was activist Demian Hanul.
Klymenko, commenting on Hanul's murder, announced that the head of the National Police, Ivan Vyhivskyi, had left for Odesa.
The minister also clarified that the claim the shooter was allegedly wearing military uniform was not true.
The police have launched a criminal case regarding the murder of the Odesa activist. The incident has been classified as intentional murder committed by order.
Hanul was a public activist, volunteer, blogger, animal and environmental defender, founder, and leader of the NGO Street Front. He was also a participant in the Revolution of Dignity and the confrontation in Odesa on May 2, 2014, against pro-Russian forces. Hanul was the former head of the Right Sector's security block in Odesa (2014-2016). After leaving the Right Sector, he established the NGO Street Front and organized events regarding the return of the Summer Theater (in the City Garden), as well as protests against illegal constructions and other causes.
In 2016, Odesa deputies attempted to transfer the Summer Theater to a private company. In 2017, protests escalated into clashes with the police. Hanul was accused of organizing mass riots, with Serhii Sternenko and Ihor Bei also held accountable. The criminal case remained open, with the then-head of the Odesa regional police, Dmytro Holovin, listed as a victim in the case. Holovin was later a suspect in embezzling state property in 2019.
In 2020, Hanul's car was set on fire by unknown individuals. In the summer of that year, his car was shot at near the village of Vyzyrka, and Hanul returned fire with a traumatic weapon. In November 2020, unknown individuals smashed his BMW X5 with bats and later set it on fire at a service station.
On May 4, 2023, in Odesa, unknown individuals wearing military uniforms beat Hanul, and the police opened a criminal case.
Photo credit: Ihor Klymenko / Telegram