Russia convicts more than 300 Ukrainian soldiers of terrorism following Kursk Oblast Incursion
More than 300 Ukrainian soldiers who took part in the Kursk Oblast incursion have been convicted on terrorist charges by Russia this year, the Kirill Parubets Analytical Center and the Insider reported on Aug. 27.
"A comprehensive analysis of the norms of international treaties suggests that the charge of terrorism is, in principle, inapplicable to a situation of international armed conflict," Sergei Davidis, head of the Support for Political Prisoners Project, told the Insider.
Russia has continuously convicted Ukrainian soldiers captured in Kursk Oblast of terrorism this year. In June, already 184 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) had terrorist charges laid against them.
One of the convicted soldiers has been given a life sentence, and most of the POWs have been sentenced to 13-28 years in prison.
There are 525 publicly known Ukrainian POWs captured in Kursk Oblast, and over 50% of them have already been convicted by Russian authorities, the Insider reported.
An additional four soldiers among the remaining 228 unconvicted are already being investigated. Among the 305 soldiers convicted this year, 290 are POWs, and 15 have been sentenced in absentia.
"The specific acts described in such sentences are either not crimes or are violations of the laws and customs of war, which must be proven and prosecuted. Since no such charges are brought in reality, it turns out that the prosecution is carried out for the very fact of participation in military actions, which really contradicts the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war," Davidis said.
The Russian 2nd Western District Military Court has carried out the sentences against the 305 Ukrainian POWs since the beginning of the year.
Russian authorities regularly hand out politically motivated charges without free or fair trials given to defendants.
