Portuguese policemen jailed for killing Ukrainian

Three Portuguese immigration officers were sentenced on Monday to prison for killing a Ukrainian man detained at Lisbon airport after he tried to enter the country without a valid visa last year.

“Ihor Homeniuk’s death was a direct consequence of the behaviour of the defendants whose duty was to act otherwise,” Judge Rui Coelho said as he read out the verdict, the Lusa news agency reported.

The officers, who were charged with murder, were sentenced to between seven and nine months in prison.

The case had highlighted malfunctions within the border immigration service, prompting the government to reform that agency and strip it of any policing functions.

The 40-year-old victim died asphyxiated on March 12, 2020 at Lisbon airport’s detention centre, where he had been held for two days after arriving from Turkey.

The court dismissed the charge of aggravated murder against the three officers but convicted them of aggravated assault causing death.

Homeniuk, according to court records, was beaten by the officers after he became agitated over his detention.

“The sentence is a step forward,” Jose Gaspar Schwalbachthe, the attorney representing the victim’s family, said.

“Justice was rendered and (this case) will serve as an example,” he added.

Attorneys for the officers said they plan to appeal the sentences.