Tetyana Montyan claims she faces death threats in detention centre in occupied Donetsk

On 29 September, Tetyana Montyan, a former Ukrainian lawyer and public figure, published a text on social media expressing dissatisfaction with the activities of the court in occupied Donetsk. The woman, who is charged with collaborationism in Ukraine, was disappointed by the position of the occupation authorities, which rejected the defence's motion. She also stated her intention to appeal the verdict in cassation in Moscow, although a decision has not yet been made.

Warning of danger in detention centre

In her message, Montyan emphasised that she believes the upcoming verdict will be unjust. She shared her opinion that she has "not long left". Specifically, she claimed that after the decision is made, she will be imprisoned, and in the pre-trial detention centre, as threatened by the investigator, a drug addict may attack her.

“Soon I will be sentenced, put in prison, and in the detention centre, as the investigator promised, a drug addict will kill me. My young lawyer still believes that I will live to see at least the cassation. Everyone who can, get away from this chaos – take an example from those who have already done it! And those who cannot – at least keep silent like fish!” – she stated.

Montyan also shared a message from propagandists using the metaphor that she is being "led to Golgotha".

Reaction of Ukrainian society

Montyan's publication, who previously justified the actions of militants in the so-called "DNR" and is now in the role of a defendant in an occupation court, sparked active discussion among Ukrainians.

Musician and journalist Albert Tsukrenko commented on the situation, claiming that "the career of traitor Montyan is about to reach its peak". Viktor Tregubov, spokesperson for the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reacted to his words, responding: "If only it were so, I would have a good laugh. But she is just coqueting again!".

Businessman Oleksiy Davydenko, who has known Montyan since the early 2010s, called her fate an example for a chapter in a psychiatry textbook titled "How to turn your only life into absurdity".

Satirical poet Yurko Kosmina added a quote from Les Podereviansky's play "Dokh...ya masla" to the discussion, and Albert Tsukrenko supplemented it with the phrase: "[Ice cream] for 33 silver coins".