A group of Ukrainian defenders at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol faces the death penalty in a court in the Russian-controlled separatist region of Donetsk. In the criminal trial, the prosecutor’s office demanded the maximum sentence on Monday, the official news agency of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic reported. A verdict should be delivered on Wednesday, the newspaper said.
The defendants, whose exact number has not been given, are accused of killing more than 100 people. The Ukrainians belonged to a group of neo-Nazis who allegedly served as a separate unit for raids and sabotage in the nationalist Azov regiment. In the Ukrainian public, the group is called “Bears”, in the Russian press it is referred to as “Bears SS”.
50 soldiers killed in Donetsk . prison
Soldiers of the Azov regiment were entrenched in the steel factory until the end of May, when the rest of the port city of Mariupol had already been taken by Russian troops. Then the last defenders went into captivity. Since then, Ukraine has been trying to secure their release. According to Ukrainian reports, many prisoners in Russian hands were mistreated. About 50 of them were killed in an attack at the Olenivka prison near Donetsk at the end of July under unclear circumstances.
Russia sees terrorists in Azov regiment
Russia classified the Azov regiment as a terrorist organization in early August. As a result, Azov members in Russian captivity could be sentenced under Russian law. The separatist republic of Donetsk says it wants to drag more lawyers from Mariupol before its own Supreme Court.
The regiment has repeatedly served as justification for Moscow’s more than five-month war of aggression and for claims that Ukraine “liberated” Ukraine from “fascists”. In fact, international experts largely agree that nationalists and right-wing extremists are only a fraction of the fighters in Ukraine.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
