A Russian military tribunal on Wednesday handed down sentences to 12 Ukrainian soldiers from the Azov regiment who heroically defended Mariupol during the Russian invasion. According to Reuters, the court handed down sentences ranging from 13 to 23 years in prison, accusing the soldiers of “terrorist activities” and “violent seizure of power”.
In addition, according to the independent media outlet Mediazona, 11 people who had previously been exchanged and returned to Ukraine were also convicted in absentia in the case. Among them are nine women who worked as cooks in a military unit.
Pressure and forced confessions
The convicted Ukrainian soldiers appeared in court with shaved heads. According to journalists, they intend to appeal the verdict. Some of them denied their guilt, claiming that their confessions were extracted under torture.
Official Kyiv has not yet commented on the verdicts, but Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated that Russia is violating the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.
Why is Azov the Kremlin’s main target?
The Azov Regiment became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance during the siege of Mariupol in 2022. The unit held positions in the besieged city for almost three months, including on the territory of the Azovstal steel plant, until it received an order to end the resistance and was captured by Russia.
The Russian authorities systematically persecute the Azovs, calling them ‘terrorists’ and ‘neo-Nazis’. However, the regiment is officially integrated into the National Guard of Ukraine and operates under Ukrainian law.
Despite Russian propaganda, Azov soldiers are regarded in Ukraine as heroes who have been deterring Russian aggression at the cost of their own lives.
Prisoner exchanges and violations of international law
Moscow claims that since the fall of Mariupol in May 2012, Russian courts have already sentenced 145 Azov servicemen.
Earlier, some Ukrainian defenders were released as part of prisoner exchanges, including Azovstal’s defence commanders. However, upon their return to Ukraine, they reported harsh conditions of detention and torture in Russian camps.
Ukraine and international human rights organisations condemn the trials of prisoners of war and call on the international community to put pressure on Russia to release them.
