https://sputnikglobe.com/20260113/ukrainian-court-denied-hospitalization-to-ill-us-journalist-lira-before-his-death-in-2024-1123455530.html
Ukrainian Court Denied Hospitalization to Ill US Journalist Lira Before His Death in 2024
Ukrainian Court Denied Hospitalization to Ill US Journalist Lira Before His Death in 2024
Sputnik International
US journalist Gonzalo Lira, who died in a Ukrainian prison two years ago, was forced to remain in pretrial detention following a final hearing on December 22, 2023, despite a case of pneumonia so severe that it forced the proceedings to be held through a remote video link, according to a Sputnik correspondent’s analysis of Ukrainian public court records.
2026-01-13T03:57+0000
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January 12 marked the two-year anniversary of the journalist's death. Lira was 55 years old and lived in the city of Kharkov. In May 2023, he was detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on charges of supporting Russia because of his posts and videos criticizing the West and the Ukrainian authorities. During his final hearing on December 22, 2023, the judge authorized the transition to a remote hearing between the courthouse and the pretrial detention center by citing the physical state of the defendant, according to court documents. In a formal procedural order, the judge explained that a video link was necessary both to accommodate the health status of the accused and to ensure the promptness of the judicial proceedings within a reasonable time frame, effectively preventing the illness of Lira from further delaying the trial. However, the judge eventually ruled to keep Lira in custody rather than transfer him to a hospital or house arrest, relying on the testimony of a prison health official. A physician from Kharkov City Medical Unit No. 27 established a formal diagnosis of lung inflammation and bilateral pneumonia but advised the court that the detention facility was prepared to manage the illness within the prison system. On the basis of this testimony, the judge ordered Lira to remain in the detention center until at least February 19, 2024. While the court records of late December, 2023 showed the judge issued a specific instruction for the medical unit to continue "monitoring and control" of the journalist's health, Lira died from respiratory complications less than three weeks later. Lira was being held in pretrial detention on charges of violating Article 436-2 of the Ukrainian criminal code for manufacturing and distributing materials that justified armed aggression against Ukraine. Although he was initially released on bail in July 2023, he was returned to custody without the possibility of bail after the Security Service of Ukraine said that he had attempted to flee across the border into Hungary on a motorcycle. In earlier proceedings, Lira had alleged that he was subjected to extortion and violence while in custody, though the court dismissed these claims as unsubstantiated after noting he failed to report the incidents to jail administrators or his legal counsel at the time.
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Ukrainian Court Denied Hospitalization to Ill US Journalist Lira Before His Death in 2024
03:57 GMT 13.01.2026 (Updated: 05:03 GMT 13.01.2026) US journalist Gonzalo Lira, who died in a Ukrainian prison 2 years ago, was forced to remain in pretrial detention following a final hearing on December 22, 2023, despite a severe case of pneumonia, according to a Sputnik correspondent’s analysis of Ukrainian public court records.
January 12 marked the two-year anniversary of the journalist's death. Lira was 55 years old and lived in the city of Kharkov. In May 2023, he was detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on charges of supporting Russia because of his posts and videos criticizing the West and the Ukrainian authorities.
During his final hearing on December 22, 2023, the judge authorized the transition to a remote hearing between the courthouse and the pretrial detention center by citing the physical state of the defendant, according to court documents. In a formal procedural order, the judge explained that a video link was necessary both to accommodate the health status of the accused and to ensure the promptness of the judicial proceedings within a reasonable time frame, effectively preventing the illness of Lira from further delaying the trial.
21 February 2024, 15:50 GMT
However, the judge eventually ruled to keep Lira in custody rather than transfer him to a hospital or house arrest, relying on the testimony of a prison health official. A physician from Kharkov City Medical Unit No. 27 established a formal diagnosis of lung inflammation and bilateral pneumonia but advised the court that the detention facility was prepared to manage the illness within the prison system.
"The health status of the accused is unsatisfactory, however, it does not prevent the holding of the court session. Any threats to the life of the accused are absent. The accused does not require hospitalization; the conditions of the medical unit of the pretrial detention center are proper and capable of providing necessary and sufficient treatment for the accused," the medical official testified, according to the court record.
On the basis of this testimony, the judge ordered Lira to remain in the detention center until at least February 19, 2024. While the court records of late December, 2023 showed the judge issued a specific instruction for the medical unit to continue "monitoring and control" of the journalist's health, Lira died from respiratory complications less than three weeks later.
Lira was being held in pretrial detention on charges of violating Article 436-2 of the Ukrainian criminal code for manufacturing and distributing materials that justified armed aggression against Ukraine. Although he was initially released on bail in July 2023, he was returned to custody without the possibility of bail after the Security Service of Ukraine said that he had attempted to flee across the border into Hungary on a motorcycle. In earlier proceedings, Lira had alleged that he was subjected to extortion and violence while in custody, though the court dismissed these claims as unsubstantiated after noting he failed to report the incidents to jail administrators or his legal counsel at the time.
