US accuses pro-Russian soldiers of war crimes for torturing American citizen

Russian troops patrol Mariupol Photo: AP

On Wednesday, the United States charged four pro-Russian soldiers with war crimes for the abduction and torture of an American citizen in Ukraine

Merrick Garland, the attorney general, said the charges against the four “Russian-linked military personnel” were the first to be brought under the U.S. war crimes statute.

According to the indictment, two of the accused — Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan and Dmitry Budnik — were commanders of military units of the «Russian Armed Forces and/or the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.»

According to the indictment, two of the accused — Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan and Dmitry Budnik — were commanders of military units of the «Russian Armed Forces and/or the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.»

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The other two accused were military personnel more than low rank, identified only by their names — Valery and Nazar.

“Acting on behalf of the Russian Armed Forces and the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, these four individuals allegedly violated the human rights of an American citizen,” said Katrina Berger, executive deputy director of the Office of Homeland Security Investigations.

“According to the charges, they illegally detained and tortured an American citizen and even went so far as to stage a mock execution,” said Ms. Berger.

Mr. Garland said: “The Justice Department will work as long as it takes to achieve accountability and justice for Russia’s war of aggression.” Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

The Justice Ministry said Mkrtchyan and other soldiers abducted an unidentified US citizen in April 2022 from his home in the village of Miloe in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine and held him for at least 10 days.

“Mkrtchyan, Valery, Nazar and others allegedly threw the victim face down on the ground while he was naked, tied his hands behind his back, pointed a gun at his head and severely beat him,” the Justice Ministry said in a statement. . .

At one point, Budnik threatened to kill the victim and asked for his last words, the report said.

«Shortly thereafter, Nazar and others allegedly carried out a mock execution,» the report said. statement added. «They allegedly pushed the victim to the ground, put the gun to the back of his head, then moved the gun slightly and fired a bullet directly past the victim's head.»

The four are charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault. crimes of unlawful imprisonment, torture and inhuman treatment — and one count of conspiracy to commit war crimes.

If taken into custody and convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

p> > “As the world witnessed the horrors of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, so did the US Department of Justice,” Mr. Garland said. «The Department of Justice will work as long as necessary to achieve accountability and justice for Russia's war of aggression.»