Esther Imonmion
A Russian military court on Friday convicted 15 captured Ukrainian soldiers on terrorism charges and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 15 to 21 years, in a ruling denounced by Kyiv and human rights groups as a violation of international law.
The Second Western District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don handed the sentences to members of Ukraine’s Aidar battalion, marking the second mass prosecution of Ukrainian prisoners of war this year. In March, 23 soldiers from the Azov brigade were similarly convicted.
Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, condemned the verdict as “shameful,” accusing Moscow of “making criminals out of those who defended their native land.”
The Russian rights group Memorial, which classified the defendants as political prisoners, said the proceedings breached the Geneva Conventions. “This grossly violates the provisions of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits the prosecution of prisoners of war solely for their participation in an armed conflict,” Memorial stated, noting that the soldiers were targeted only for belonging to the Aidar unit.
Russia has designated both the Azov and Aidar battalions as terrorist organizations, alleging they committed atrocities. The volunteer formations were created after Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and later integrated into Ukraine’s regular armed forces.
The trial, held in Rostov-on-Don near the Ukrainian border, was largely closed to the public, with journalists allowed to attend only the opening sessions and the verdict announcement.