Another Ukrainian prisoner of war was illegally convicted in the occupied territory of Donetsk region

Another Ukrainian prisoner of war was illegally sentenced in the occupied territory of Donetsk region. The so-called “Supreme Court of the People’s Republic of Ukraine” passed a “sentence” against Oleksiy Khmara, a 31-year-old marksman of the amphibious assault company of the 36th separate marine brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He was accused of killing civilians in Mariupol in March 2022, when fierce fighting was going on outside the city. The Russian army then stormed the city.

The “court” stated that Khmara, while on Nikopolskyі Prospect in Mariupol, allegedly shot a civilian with a machine gun who was near a public transport stop. The man died as a result of his injuries.

A prisoner of war was illegally imprisoned in a colony for 22 years.

Ukrainian prisoners of war are prosecuted, denied judicial guarantees, protection, and systematically subjected to torture and ill-treatment in places of detention.

“This is evidenced by the cases against members of the Azov regiment and the Aidar battalion.” After the capture, Russia accused them of the so-called participation in a terrorist organization and the so-called attempt to overthrow the government of the Russian puppet regime in the occupied territory,” said the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin.

He drew attention to the fact that these accusations are primarily put forward as a pretext for persecuting Ukrainian soldiers for their participation in hostilities.

In order to detain Ukrainians in the occupation and on the territory of the Russian Federation, and then arrange pseudo-trials, Russia finds a variety of pretexts. One of these is the accusation of supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.