Tuesday, 8 August ‘23

Suspicions Issued Against Two Ukrainians for POW Torture 

Investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported in absentia the suspicion of violation of the laws and customs of war to two Ukrainian citizens.  The former head of the so-called Volnovaha correctional colony from the Kirovohrad region, Serhiy Yevsyukov, and his subordinate junior inspector, a native of the Donetsk region, Kyryl Shakurov, are suspected of ill-treatment of prisoners of war as a result of a prior conspiracy by a group of persons (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the criminal code of Ukraine). 

The investigation believes that the suspects were involved in the torture of more than 100 captured Ukrainian soldiers at the Volnovaska Correctional Colony, better known as the Olenivska Colony. According to the investigation, Yevsyukov gave orders and organised torture sessions, and his subordinates, in particular Shakurov, carried them out. POWs were taken to a specially created "disciplinary detention centre” where they were subjected to physical, psychological and sexual violence. Yevsyukov was the head of the colony from February 24, 2022 to early August 2022.

Case Builds for Crime of Aggression

Ukraine’s prosecutor general Andriy Kostin said in an interview that 673 suspects had been identified in the "February 24" capital case regarding the crime of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The list includes the top military and political leadership of the Russian Federation as well as propagandists, journalists, actors and singers.

Their actions were qualified as an encroachment on territorial integrity and the initiation and waging of an aggressive war. Kostin said that the list included RT director Anton Krasovsky, who publicly called for the drowning of Ukrainian children and is included in the EU sanctions list. Documents were also being prepared to submit Krasovsky to the international wanted list.

Appeal Confirms Life Sentence

On July 26, the Chernihiv Court of Appeals left unchanged the verdict of the court of first instance, which sentenced in absentia Aleeksandra Karpov, a junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder (part 1 of article 28 of article 2 of article 438 of the criminal code of Ukraine) to life imprisonment. This means that the verdict has entered into force.

On February 26, 2022, Russian soldiers in the centre of the village of Krupychpole in Chernihiv region stopped a civilian car carrying a couple, their daughter and son-in-law.

The Russian soldiers shot at the car and, believing that all four passengers had been killed, left the scene of the crime. The mother of the family died, while the others were injured and pretended to be dead.