The preliminary hearing of the first war crime trial in Ukraine after the Russian invasion on February 24 took place today in a Ukrainian court.
A 21-year-old Russian soldier has been charged with the murder of a 62-year-old civilian.
The defendant testified before the court that his name was Vadim Sisimarin, that he was born in the Irkutsk region of Russia and confirmed that he was a Russian soldier during the brief hearing.
The judge announced that the court will meet again on May 18.
The case has enormous symbolic significance for Ukraine. The Kiev government has accused Russia of atrocities and barbarism against civilians during the invasion and has said it has documented more than 10,000 possible war crimes, blaming 622 Russian soldiers.
Russia denies targeting civilians or committing war crimes and accuses Kyiv of directing them to insult its military.
The Kremlin told reporters today that it has no information about a war crimes trial.
The website of the Kyiv district court states that Sisimarin is accused of “violations of the laws and morals of war.”
With a shaved head and a frightened style, Sisimarin wore a hooded sweatshirt and was taken to the courtroom by police.
The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announced that the accused is a chariot commander in the chariot division of Kademirovskaya from the Moscow region.
The attorney general had released a photo of himself before the hearing.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison for killing a civilian in the village of Tsupahifka, east of Kiev, on February 28.
The reports of the Ukrainians
In a statement issued earlier in the day, the attorney general’s office said the soldier had stolen a private vehicle to flee with four other Russian soldiers after their convoy was attacked by Ukrainian forces.
The same statement states that the Russian soldiers went to this village where they saw an unarmed resident riding his bicycle and talking on his cell phone.
According to the same source, the accused was ordered by another soldier to kill the civilian so that the latter would not mention the presence of the Russians in the village and shot the civilian in the head with an automatic Kalashnikov in the head, who was killed instantly. .
He did not specify the circumstances under which he was arrested or what happened to the other soldiers who were present when the killing of the civilian was allegedly committed or on what evidence the charges against him were based.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has conducted an investigation into the case, the prosecutor’s office said.
Other such cases are expected
In the courtroom, Sisimarin was questioned by a judge, who addressed him in Ukrainian and Russian. He had an interpreter with him.
Reuters was unable to contact him or his legal representative to comment before the proceedings.
Prosecutor Andriy Sinyuk told reporters after the trial: “This is the first case today. But soon there will be many more.”
Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said yesterday that there were many examples of possible war crimes after the Russian invasion and that 1,000 bodies had been found so far in the Kiev region.
Britain and the Netherlands have sent war crimes investigators to assist in the Ukrainian and International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) investigations, particularly in Bhutan, a suburb of Kiev.
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
