From 13 to 23 years in prison: 24 Azov fighters were sentenced in Russia, 11 in absentia because they had already been released during exchange
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has announced the verdict in the case of 24 Azov Brigade fighters. They were sentenced to 13 to 23 years in prison.
According to Censor.NET, citing Graty, the press service of the court reported this.
Why were the 'Azovs' convicted?
The Azov members, who were detained while trying to leave Mariupol or during filtration measures in the city or in battles, after being wounded, were accused of the violent seizure of power and changing the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, as well as organizing or participating in the activities of a terrorist organization.
The accusation is based on the fact that Azov was recognized as a terrorist organization by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on August 2, 2022, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. The case was heard by a panel of judges presided over by Vyacheslav Korsakov.
The Azov women were sentenced in absentia because they have already been released from captivity
Olena Bondarchuk, Lilia Pavrianidis, Olena Avramova, Iryna Mohytych, Vladyslava Maiboroda, Marina Tekin, and Nina Bondarenko were sentenced to 13 years in a general regime penal colony.
Lilia Rudenko and Natalia Golfiner were sentenced to 14 years in a general regime penal colony.
As noted, the women were tried in absentia. On September 13, 2024, all nine were released in a prisoner of war exchange.
Eight women worked as cooks in Azov, and one was the head of Azov's food warehouse until January 2022.
What sentences did Azov fighters receive?
15 men were sentenced to various terms in a strict regime penal colony.
Oleh Zharkov was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Oleh Mizhhorodskyi - 17 years.
Anatolii Hritsyk - 19 years.
Artem Hrebeshkov and Oleksandr Irkha were sentenced to 20 years.
Oleh Tyshkul, Aleksandr Mukhin, Yaroslav Zhdamarov, Oleksandr Merochenets, Mykyta Timonin, and Artur Hretskyi were sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Oleksii Smykov was sentenced to 23 years.
David Kasatkin and Dmytro Labinskyi were also sentenced to 23 years, but Kasatkin was exchanged on September 22, 2022, and Labinsky on May 6, 2023, so the men were tried in absentia.
One of the accused fighters, 55-year-old Serhiy Ishchenko, died in a Russian detention center. The court closed the case against him. His death became known at a hearing in July 2024. During the trial, he repeatedly complained of feeling unwell, and his lawyer demanded that he be provided with medical care. The Russian documents that were handed over with the body of the deceased state that "the cause of death has not been established." The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine is investigating the ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners.
During the trial, the prisoners of war claimed torture after detention and beatings during convoy.
The Russian human rights project Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" recognized 24 defendants as political prisoners.
