More than 250 Azov fighters have been convicted in Russia on trumped-up charges
In Russia, more than a third of the captured soldiers from the “Azov” Brigade have faced prosecution, and 250 of the nearly 700 fighters currently held captive have already been sentenced by Russian pseudo-courts.
This was reported at a press conference by representatives of the National Guard and the Coordination Headquarters. According to the National Guard, the number of illegal sentences is rapidly increasing due to trials in absentia and brutal torture aimed at forcing prisoners to incriminate themselves, with “Azov” fighters being tried for fabricated war crimes and for the mere fact of their service, due to the unit being designated as “terrorist” by the Russian Federation.
Russian law requires a personal pardon decision by Vladimir Putin for the exchange of convicts, however, the Ukrainian side has already managed to free about 300 defenders with legal status in Russia, and a total of about 600 soldiers from the “Azov” Brigade have been released.
On June 16, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don handed down sentences to two Ukrainian prisoners of war from the “Azov” Brigade, sentencing them to 17 and 20 years of imprisonment in a penal colony.
Following inspections in May, the two largest payment terminal networks—EasyPay (LLC “FC ‘Kontraktovy Dom’”) and City24 (LLC “Swift Garant”)—were hit with massive fines: 135 million hryvnias each.
