The Pustomyty District Court in the Lviv region has issued a verdict against Marjan Hoshovsky, a native of Prykarpattia, who organized a scheme for smuggling draft evaders across the border. The court sentenced him to one year of probation.
According to the case materials, Marjan Hoshovsky organized schemes for the illegal departure of conscripted men abroad. He involved an accomplice who was responsible for producing counterfeit documents granting residency in the Czech Republic.
In June and July 2022, Marjan Hoshovsky handed over the passports of conscripted individuals to his accomplice, who then placed fake stamps in them. Afterward, the transporter returned the passports to their owners and advised them on how to exit the country without hindrance. Later, Marjan Hoshovsky personally transported the men in a Mercedes-Benz minibus to a foot crossing point, where they were apprehended by border guards. The investigation recorded several instances of assistance to draft evaders in illegally crossing the border.
During the court proceedings, Marjan Hoshovsky entered into a plea agreement with the prosecutor. The materials related to his accomplice were separated into a separate proceeding.
Considering the circumstances of the case, Judge Dmytro Kuksa of the Pustomyty District Court found Marjan Hoshovsky guilty of illegal smuggling across the state border (part 2 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and forgery of documents (part 3 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), and sentenced him to a total of 5 years in prison. However, the court released him from serving the sentence, assigning him one year of probation instead. This verdict can be appealed.