The so-called "Minister of Agriculture of the LPR" has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for organizing the seizure of Ukrainian agricultural assets in the temporarily occupied Luhansk region. This involves grain, equipment, land plots, and infrastructure with a total value of over 3.1 billion UAH, reports UNN with reference to the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Details
According to the investigation, after the occupation of part of the Luhansk region in 2022, the former head of one of the district state administrations voluntarily headed the so-called "Ministry of Agriculture of the LPR" and ensured the implementation of the aggressor state's decisions regarding the misappropriation of Ukrainian agricultural assets.
The OPG noted that after the seizure, agricultural products were transported by rail through the temporarily occupied territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions to the Russian Federation for further export, specifically to Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon.
The funds obtained could have been used to finance the armed aggression against Ukraine
The verdict was delivered on May 6, 2024, by the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv. In addition to 12 years of imprisonment, the court prohibited the convict from holding positions in government and local self-government bodies for 15 years and applied property confiscation.
The prosecutor's office emphasized that the court also proved violations of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
Furthermore, the court satisfied the civil claims of the victims for over 3.1 billion UAH.
This creates an additional legal basis for the further recovery of damages caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation