Rostov Court sentences three more «Azov» prisoners of war
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, has handed down verdicts against three prisoners of war from the «Azov» Brigade who defended the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. This was reported by Mediazona.
All three prisoners of war face charges related to their service in «Azov», which Russia has designated a terrorist organization. Two of them received sentences of 18 and 19 years in prison for participation in a terrorist organization and terrorism training, while the third was sentenced to 5.5 years solely for participation. The 5.5-year sentence is the most lenient handed down to date to «Azov» fighters held in Russian captivity.
It should be noted that convicting prisoners of war for the mere fact of participating in hostilities, stripping them of their prisoner of war status, and denying them the right to a fair trial constitute gross violations of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Nevertheless, such practices remain widespread in Russia.
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