Two Russian judges suspected of war crimes for illegal sentences against Azov fighters
Kyiv • UNN
Two judges of the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation have been notified of suspicion of war crimes. They sentenced Azov prisoners of war to 18 years in prison for participating in hostilities.
Two judges of the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation have been notified of suspicion of a war crime for illegal sentences against "Azov" fighters in 2024, when they sentenced prisoners of war to 18 years in prison for participating in hostilities. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, writes UNN.
In 2024, two judges of the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation handed down illegal sentences to prisoners of war from the "Azov" unit. Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General, they were notified of suspicion of a war crime – violating the right of prisoners of war to a fair and proper trial (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The investigation established that the judges, being aware of the international armed conflict, effectively implemented the policy of the aggressor state regarding the illegal persecution of Ukrainian defenders. Their actions grossly violated Article 99 of the Geneva Convention, which guarantees the right of prisoners of war to a fair trial and prohibits punishment for the mere fact of participation in hostilities.
Episode regarding Judge D.
On November 27, 2024, Judge D., acting "in the name of the Russian Federation," handed down an illegal sentence to an "Azov" serviceman – 18 years of imprisonment for the mere fact of participating in the conflict on the side of Ukraine.
Episode regarding Judge Sh.
On December 3, 2024, Judge Sh. issued a similar sentence to another "Azov" prisoner of war – also 18 years of imprisonment for participating in hostilities.
Such sentences have become an element of the systemic practice of the aggressor state, which uses judicial institutions as a tool of pressure on prisoners of war and tries to give formal "legitimacy" to illegal persecution.