For the first time after Russia's military invasion, a court in Kieu, the capital of Ukraine, sentenced Russian soldiers to life imprisonment as requested by the prosecution in a war crimes trial.
Sergeant Wazim Sisimarin (21), who belongs to the Russian tank corps, appeared in the court of Kieu on the 23rd, while many media were crowded.
The sergeant was charged with shooting and killing a 62-year-old civilian man riding a bicycle in a village in Sumy Oblast, northeastern Ukraine, on February 28, shortly after the military invasion began.
So far, the sergeant has admitted to the killing, but denied his intention to kill him, saying, "He fired unaidedly and did not intend to kill the civilians."
In a ruling on the 23rd, the presiding judge pointed out that he was ordered by his superior and aimed at it, and sentenced him to life imprisonment as requested by the prosecution, saying that it was a crime against peace, humanitarian law, and international law.
When the interpreter was informed of the content of the judgment, the sergeant was lying down and showing a small nod.
According to the prosecutor's office, there were 11,239 suspected war crimes by the Russian army as of May 13, and 623 suspects have been identified, so we will continue to hold responsibility. I am.
Is it the aim to impress many media brutal acts in court?
A lot of media entered the court where the trial was held.
The defendant's sergeant was accompanied by a lawyer, and an interpreter simultaneously translated the exchanges in court and distributed them on the Internet.
In previous hearings, the wife of the murdered man appeared in court and asked the sergeant "Do you regret the sin you committed?" I understand that. "
The Ukrainian side seems to be aiming to show fairness and transparency and to impress the international community with the brutal acts of Russian troops on civilians by disclosing the trials of Russian soldiers.
Russian Presidential Administration Seeking a way to protect soldiers
Regarding the sentence of a Russian soldier charged with war crimes to life imprisonment in Ukraine, Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian Presidential Office, said, "Our agency is not active in the field and an option to directly protect it. Not many, but they are not considering ongoing attempts through other channels, "he said, suggesting that he would seek ways to protect the soldiers.