A United States resident was found guilty in Moscow, charged as a mercenary operating under Ukrainian affiliations.
A Russian court has condemned an American resident to six years and ten months in jail for participating in the Ukrainian military service. This information was disseminated by the Russian investigative news platform Mediazona. The trial was conducted in secrecy within the Moscow courts.
As per media accounts, the 72-year-old man hailing from Michigan had relocated to Ukraine in 2014. Following the Russian invasion, it is alleged that he enlisted in the territorial defense forces in the eastern Ukrainian city of Isyum in February 2022, earning approximately $1,000 a month. The Russian legal department accused him of being a mercenary. Isyum, located in the Kharkiv region, was swiftly overpowered by Russian troops at the outset of the conflict. The American prisoner of war was apprehended during this period.
The prosecution had originally sought a seven-year sentence. However, the lawyer representing the convicted individual announced, as reported by the Russian state-run news agency TASS, that an appeal of the verdict would ensue.
Despite the Russian court's conviction, ongoing discussions surrounding the Ukrainian War continue worldwide. This American resident's incarceration for participating in the Ukrainian military service has sparked international concern and debate.
