Russian "sentences" for captured Aidar members are null and void and unlawful, it’s trial - MFA
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest in connection with the illegal and politically motivated verdict handed down by the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation on October 17 regarding 15 prisoners of war, soldiers of the 24th separate assault battalion "Aidar."
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sentences handed down to Ukrainian prisoners
The Foreign Ministry recalled that the Russian "court" sentenced Ukrainian defenders to long prison terms - from 16 to 21 years in a strict regime colony - based solely on the fact of their military service in "Aidar", which had been groundlessly recognized in the Russian Federation as a as a "terrorist organization."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasizes that, in accordance with the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Ukrainian servicemen are combatants and, after being captured, acquire the status of prisoners of war.
Russia violates the Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention categorically prohibits bringing prisoners of war to justice for participating in hostilities or for belonging to the armed forces of their state.
"All attempts by the Russian Federation to prosecute Ukrainian prisoners of war for their lawful participation in the defense of their homeland are null and void and unlawful," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes.
This "trial" is yet another example of the use of the judicial system of the Russian Federation as a tool of political repression, propaganda, and intimidation, which has nothing to do with justice and international law. This and all similar verdicts of the Russian "judiciary" are legally null and void. Ukraine will continue to use every international platform and every lever, making every effort to free its citizens from Russian prisons," the statement said.
Call for condemnation of sentences
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on the international community to strongly condemn the illegal verdicts of the Russian court, which are yet another war crime committed by the Russian Federation, and to increase political, diplomatic, and sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation with the aim of securing the immediate and unconditional release of all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, including prisoners of war, political prisoners, and civilian captives.
"We are convinced that the international community, which values the rule of law and human dignity, must support Ukraine and Ukrainian prisoners of war," the Foreign Ministry concluded.
Earlier, Censor.NET reported that 15 captured soldiers of the Aidar battalion had been "sentenced" in Russia to terms ranging from 15 to 21 years in a strict regime prison.
