Oleksandr Sheiko and Dmytro Yukhnov are political prisoners
Two Ukrainians have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for serving in the Aidar Battalion
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Oleksandr Sheiko and Dmytro Yukhnov political prisoners. Sheiko and Yukhnov were convicted on a charge of ‘participation in a terrorist group’ for serving in the Aidar Battalion, a unit of the Ukrainian armed forces. Sheiko was also convicted of ‘undergoing training in terrorism.’ The prosecution and conviction of Sheiko and Yukhnov violated their right to a fair trial as well as the Geneva Conventions on the Treatment of Prisoners of War and on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. We demand that all criminal charges against Sheiko and Yukhnov be dropped and that their treatment follow international law. We also demand that Sheiko and Yukhnov be released, if they are not prisoners of war.
What were the charges against Oleksandr Sheiko and Dmytro Yukhnov?
33-year-old Oleksandr Sheiko and 28-year-old Dmytro Yukhnov, both from Luhansk Oblast of Ukraine, served in the Aidar 24th Separate Assault Battalion of the Ukrainian armed forces.
According to the Russian investigative authorities, Sheiko voluntarily joined the military in 2019, underwent training, and then took part in combat operations in the Donbas. It is not known when Yukhnov served in the Aidar Battalion, nor is it known when Sheiko and Yukhnov were detained, and whether they were in military service at that time.
The Russian authorities claimed that, while serving in the Aidar Battalion, Sheiko and Yukhnov ‘participated in a terrorist group’ (Article 205.4, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code), and that Sheiko also underwent ‘training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activity’ (Article 205.3).
In December 2024, a military court in Rostov-on-Don delivered a guilty verdict in Sheiko’s case, and in February 2025 also found Yukhnov guilty. We do not know what sentences were handed down.
Why do we consider Oleksandr Sheiko and Dmytro Yukhnov political prisoners?
Sheiko and Yukhnov were prosecuted and convicted of ‘participation in a terrorist group’ for serving in the Aidar Battalion. The courts’ classification of this unit as a terrorist group is unlawful and unfounded. The Aidar Battalion is part of the Ukrainian army, carrying out combat missions in accordance with orders from the country’s military command. Therefore, the provisions of anti-terrorism legislation are inapplicable to the situation of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The charge brought against Oleksandr Sheiko of undergoing training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activity is also groundless. Sheiko underwent training to perform his combat duties.
Under international law, Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine is illegal and criminal, while Ukraine’s actions in defending itself against this aggression are lawful and justified. Defending one’s country from armed invasion is not a crime.
Sheiko and Yukhnov were not accused of committing war crimes but solely of membership in a specific military unit. The prosecution of soldiers and former soldiers of the Aidar Battalion for the mere fact of participating in combat operations constitutes a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions on the Treatment of Prisoners of War and on the Treatment of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
A detailed description of Oleksandr Sheiko’s and Dmytro Yukhnov’s cases and of our position is available on our website.
Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions
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