In Ukraine’s first war crimes trial since Russia invaded the country, a 21-year-old Russian soldier was sentenced to life in prison today for killing an unarmed civilian.
Today’s verdict caps days of proceedings in a courtroom in Kyiv, and could set the stage for a string of other prosecutions for alleged atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russian military forces over the past three months.
Sgt. Vadim Shyshimarin pleaded guilty to violating the laws and customs of war under a section of the Ukrainian criminal code. He admitted that he shot and killed an unarmed 62-year-old man while he rode his bicycle in a village in northeastern Ukraine in the very first days of the war.
The verdict takes effect in 30 days. The sentencing can be appealed over the next 30 days. The soldier was a member of a tank unit, and will remain in custody in Ukraine.
The case has drawn massive international attention, especially amid mounting allegations of war crimes committed by Russian military forces in Ukraine. Some war crimes have been documented by international human rights organizations.
Ukraine launched massive efforts to prosecute any war crime that happens on its territory, moving at unprecedented speeds. Both the International Criminal Court and the United Nations have also set out separate inquiries.
The attention on the case today highlights the unusual nature of the case, as it involves a captured soldier being tried int he country that his armed forces invaded.
Shyshimarin argued in his defense that the officers pressured him to shoot the man
The presiding judge said today while announcing the verdict that Shyshimarin was well aware that the victims as a civilian, and that he did not have to carry out what he called a “criminal order” to shoot the man.
Be the first to comment