The court of the Kyiv region released Viktor Ruchka, a resident of Irpen, who was tried for three years for growing hemp in the yard of his own house.
In a comment to "Babel", Ruchkaʼs lawyer Oleksandr Kulikov informed that the court released his client from punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, but they are not satisfied with this decision.
At the trial, Viktor categorically did not admit his guilt and wants to achieve an acquittal. He is against the fact that cultivation has been recognized as a criminal offense.
Viktor Ruchko grew up in Donetsk, and in 2014 he moved to Irpen. There he bought a house and started growing hemp bushes. Ruchko smoked cannabis for many years to ease the pain of chronic kidney failure. The man has a disability and claimed to have grown a medical strain and used it exclusively for treatment. In 2019, the police came to him — they found 15 bushes and 12 hemp sprouts in his yard. A criminal case was initiated against Ruchko, for which he was threatened with a fine of up to 8 500 hryvnias.
"Babel" met with Ruchko in 2020 and wrote in detail about his case.