Russians to secretly bury two teenage Ukrainian partisans killed in Berdiansk
The occupation authorities of Berdiansk are planning a secret burial of the murdered Ukrainian teenagers Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov. The bodies of the boys have not been returned to their families for a year.
Source: Media Initiative for Human Rights
Details: Hryhorii Ohannisian, Tihran's father, informed the Media Initiative for Human Rights about Russiaʼs plan.
The occupation authorities are trying to pass off the teenagers killed by Russian security forces as "terrorists". A year after the murder, they urgently decided to bury them in an unmarked grave.
They will do this in secret, without informing their relatives about the time or place of burial.
The teenagers’ bodies have not been returned to their relatives since their death more than a year ago.
During this time, Russian investigators have repeatedly told the families that they will be allowed to take back the bodies and bury the teenagers. However, for various reasons, the occupation authorities refuse each time.
Background:
- 16-year-olds Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov were active members of anti-Russian communities.
- On 30 September 2022, the Russian military abducted Tihran Ohannisian, who lived with his grandmother in temporarily occupied Berdiansk. During interrogations, the Russians tortured the teenager but released him on 5 October. Since then, the Russians have regularly interrogated and searched the homes of Tihran Ohannisian and his classmate Mykyta Khanhanov.
- In January 2023, the Russian military prevented Tihran's parents from taking him out of the temporarily occupied territory, and the teenager was returned from Taganrog.
- On 7 April, the Russian military took Ohannisian and Khanhanov to Rostov-on-Don (Russia) for a "psychological and psychiatric examination".
- On 24 May, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation charged Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov with allegedly preparing a railway sabotage. The case was being prepared for trial, and the Russian Federation planned to sentence the boys to 20 years in prison.
- On 15 June, the European Parliament adopted a resolution demanding Russia stop persecuting Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov and release them to Ukraine's territory.
- On 24 June, Russian propagandists reported the murder of "two pro-Ukrainian terrorists", who turned out to be Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov. Before his death, Tihran recorded a video that ended with the words "Glory to Ukraine!". Russians accused the teenagers of murdering a military serviceman and a police collaborator.
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