Russia: Three brothers sentenced to long prison terms for attempting to fight for pro-Ukrainian group
In Russia, a court sentenced three brothers to lengthy prison terms because they wanted to join a pro-Ukrainian unit. According to a statement from the court, the three men, aged between 19 and 24, were sentenced in Moscow for high treason, participation in a terrorist organization, and illegal border crossing.
The eldest of the three brothers, 24-year-old Joann Aschtscheulow, was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in prison. His brothers Timofej and Alexej must serve 17 years in prison.
According to the prosecution, the brothers attempted to cross the border to Ukraine on foot in July 2023 to join the "Legion of Free Russia," which fights against the Russian army on the Ukrainian side. They were reportedly arrested about 1.5 kilometers from the border.
The first three years of their sentences must be served in prison, with the following years in a penal colony with stricter conditions.
The trial against the Aschtscheulow brothers was, unlike usual for such proceedings, open to the public. In their closing statements, the defendants confirmed their opposition to the Russian government.
The youngest brother, 19-year-old Timofej, stated that he wanted to do nothing immoral. He justified his actions by considering the "military special operation" - as the Kremlin refers to its actions in Ukraine - as a "crime." His 21-year-old brother Alexej said he did not see himself as "terrorists." The 24-year-old Joann reportedly described his actions to the independent news outlet Mediazona as an attempt to stop the "gravest crime of the 21st century."
In Russia, people are regularly arrested and sentenced for working or attempting to work with Ukraine in various ways or for criticizing the Russian military intervention. Even people who merely criticize the Russian military intervention are pursued criminally by the authorities.
- The prosecution accused the brothers of fighting against their own country, which they saw as a form of high treason and participation in a terrorist organization.
- The brothers' trial received significant attention, with many viewing their sentences as a form of repression by the Russian government against its critics.
- Due to the brothers' conviction, there have been calls for international pressure on Russia to release them and end such repressive tactics against its citizens.
