On April 10, 2026, the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol reported that a former judge of the Yalta City Court had been notified of suspicion for ordering the deportation of a Ukrainian citizen from the occupied peninsula.

Who is the suspect

Ihor Anatolyevich Kairo (born May 15, 1965) is a native of russia and a resident of Yalta.

By a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine dated January 13, 2005 (No. 2345-IV), he was appointed a judge of the Yalta City Court of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea for an indefinite term. After 2014, he did not resign and continued working within the russian system, as a so-called “judge.”

After the start of the full-scale war, in October 2023, the Podilskyi District Court of Kyiv sentenced him under Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason) to 13 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Circumstances of the crime

In September 2014, Kairo considered a case against a citizen of Ukraine who resided in the occupied territory of the Crimean Peninsula. The grounds cited were an alleged “violation of the rules of stay of a foreign citizen in the russian federation,” namely the lack of residence documents.

Under Article 47 of the Geneva Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons, the individual was not required to obtain any permits from the occupying authorities. As a protected person under international humanitarian law, he could not be deprived of the guarantees provided by this Convention.

Despite this, Kairo issued a ruling finding the man “guilty,” imposing a fine of 5,000 russian rubles, and ordering his forced deportation from the Crimean Peninsula.

As a result, the victim was forced to leave his place of residence in Crimea and, by the end of 2014, relocate to territory controlled by Ukraine.

Suspicion

The investigation classifies Kairo’s actions as the unlawful deportation of a person protected under international humanitarian law.

He has been notified of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — violation of the laws and customs of war.

Criminal proceedings were registered in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under No. 120260100000000001 dated January 2, 2026.