4 Russian soldiers charged for abducting, torturing American in Ukraine by U.S. prosecutors
OAN’s Brooke Mallory
1:25 PM – Wednesday, December 6, 2023
The Justice Department revealed on Wednesday that four Russian soldiers have been charged with war crimes after allegedly kidnapping and torturing an American citizen in Ukraine following Russia’s incursion. This marks the first time such charges have been brought under the U.S. war crimes statute.
The soldiers, including two commanding officers and two lower-ranking soldiers, are facing three war crimes charges for their alleged abuse of the U.S. resident in Ukraine. The lower-ranking soldiers are identified by their first names, Valerii and Nazar, while the commanding leaders are named as Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan and Dmitry Budnik.
The charges against each defendant include wrongful detention, torture, inhumane treatment, and conspiracy to commit war crimes.
During a press conference at the Justice Department, Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the significance of these charges, stating that they are the first criminal charges under the U.S. war crimes statute against Russia-affiliated military personnel. He also highlighted the importance of holding the Russian regime accountable for its illegal war in Ukraine.
Unfortunately, the accused soldiers are not currently in American custody.
“These charges, against four Russia-affiliated military personnel, are the Justice Department’s first criminal charges under the U.S. war crimes statute. They are also an important step toward accountability for the Russian regime’s illegal war in Ukraine,” Garland said. “Our work is far from done.”
The victim, who remains unidentified, was allegedly taken by Mkrtchyan and his men in April 2022 from the village of Mylove in Ukraine. The Justice Department claims that the victim was assaulted, placed in an unlawful detention facility, and subjected to torture for ten days.
According to prosecutors, the Russian soldiers conducted interrogation sessions where they removed the victim’s clothing, took pictures, and subjected him to physical abuse.
The accused “threw [the victim] face down to the ground while he was naked, tied his hands behind his back, pointed a gun at his head, and beat him with their feet, their fists, and the stocks of their guns,” wrote prosecutors in the 9-page indictment.
One particularly violent session involved Budnik threatening the victim with death and asking for his last words.
After a mock execution, the victim was beaten and interrogated again.
“There, they forced him to the ground and put a gun to the back of his head. The victim believed he was about to be killed. They moved the gun just before pulling the trigger, and the bullet went just past his head,” Garland asserted. “After the mock execution, the victim was beaten and interrogated again.”
According to the charging documents, the unidentified victim was not involved in the war and had been living in Ukraine since 2021.
The Justice Department has established a War Crimes Accountability Team to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine that can be prosecuted in the United States. Additionally, U.S. investigators are assisting Ukrainian officials in gathering evidence of Russian atrocities.
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What steps are being taken by U.S. investigators to gather evidence of Russian atrocities in Ukraine and assist Ukrainian officials in prosecuting war crimes
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that four Russian military personnel have been indicted for war crimes committed against a U.S. national living in Ukraine. This is the first time such charges have been brought under the U.S. war crimes statute.
According to the Justice Department, the four soldiers, including two commanding officers and two lower-ranking soldiers, are facing three war crimes charges for their alleged abuse of the U.S. resident in Ukraine. The charges include wrongful detention, torture, inhumane treatment, and conspiracy to commit war crimes. The lower-ranking soldiers have been identified by their first names, Valerii and Nazar, while the commanding leaders are named as Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan and Dmitry Budnik.
During a press conference at the Justice Department, Attorney General Merrick Garland highlighted the significance of these charges. He stated that they are the first criminal charges under the U.S. war crimes statute against Russia-affiliated military personnel and emphasized the importance of holding the Russian regime accountable for its illegal war in Ukraine.
Unfortunately, the accused soldiers are not currently in American custody. The victim, who remains unidentified, was allegedly taken by Mkrtchyan and his men in April 2022 from the village of Mylove in Ukraine. The victim was assaulted, placed in an unlawful detention facility, and subjected to torture for ten days.
Prosecutors state that the Russian soldiers conducted interrogation sessions where they removed the victim’s clothing, took pictures, and subjected him to physical abuse. One particularly violent session involved Budnik threatening the victim with death and asking for his last words. After a mock execution, the victim was beaten and interrogated again.
The Justice Department has established a War Crimes Accountability Team to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine that can be prosecuted in the United States. U.S. investigators are also assisting Ukrainian officials in gathering evidence of Russian atrocities.
These charges against the Russian soldiers are significant in the pursuit of justice for the victim and in holding the Russian regime accountable for its actions. They mark an important step towards bringing an end to the illegal war in Ukraine and ensuring that those responsible for war crimes are held responsible for their actions. The Justice Department’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting war crimes is commendable, and it is hoped that these efforts will lead to further accountability and justice for the victims.
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