Occupiers sentenced Mariupol defender Valerii Yeremeiev to 22 years in prison. PHOTO
A "court" in Russia has handed down a sentence for a fictitious crime to a defender of Mariupol. Azov defender Valerii Yeremeiev has been "sentenced" to imprisonment for allegedly "shooting a civilian".
This was reported by the Mariupol City Council, according to Censor.NET.
What is known?
"The occupation court stated that the Ukrainian soldier shot a man in a car, believing that he allegedly had "pro-Russian views." The invaders have already announced, according to their playbook, that the defender was acting according to "the plan of the Kyiv regime." Of course, there was no independent examination, no independent lawyers, and no evidence to support the charges," the statement said.
It is noted that the "court" sentenced Valerii Yeremeiev to 22 years in prison to be served in a strict regime penal colony.
The goal is to discredit Ukrainian defenders
The Mariupol City Council emphasises that all sentences against the defenders of Mariupol are handed down with one goal in mind: to discredit Ukrainian defenders and accuse them of destroying the city, distorting reality.
"It was the Russian military that invaded Ukraine in 2022 and completely blockaded Mariupol. For almost three months, the city's residents had no water, food, or medicine and were unable to evacuate. The Russian occupiers shelled the city constantly, destroying not only critical infrastructure but also thousands of residential buildings, hospitals, and schools where peaceful Mariupol residents were sheltering. According to preliminary estimates, at least 22,000 civilians were killed, including children," the city council added.
