By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A Russian military court on Friday convicted 15 Ukrainian soldiers on charges of terrorism, slamming jail term up 21 years on them, a proceeding that has attracted widespread condemnation from Kyiv and human rights groups
They say the jail sentence on the captured soldiers is a sham and a violation of international law.
The Second Western District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don handed down sentences ranging from 15 to 21 years to members of Ukraine’s Aidar battalion.
The verdict represents the second mass prosecution of Ukrainian prisoners of war, after the March conviction of 23 soldiers from the Azov brigade on similar charges.
Ukraine’s human rights envoy, Dmytro Lubinets, had previously condemned the trial of Aidar as “shameful,” asserting that “Russia is making criminals out of those who defended their native land.”
An influential Russian human rights organisation Memorial, which has classified the defendants as political prisoners, argued the trial fundamentally violated 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,” the group stated.
Memorial emphasised the soldiers were prosecuted merely for serving in Aidar, not for any specific alleged war crimes.
Russia has designated both the Azov and Aidar units as terrorist organisations, accusing them of committing atrocities.
These volunteer battalions were formed following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and saw heavy combat against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine before being formally integrated into Ukraine’s armed forces.
The trial was held near the Ukrainian border in a city housing Russia’s Southern Military District headquarters. It was conducted mostly behind closed doors, with journalists permitted only at the opening sessions and for the verdict announcement.
