Serhii Ivashchenko is a political prisoner
A former member of the Ukrainian military has been convicted on charges of participating in a terrorist group for having served in the Aidar Battalion
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Serhii Ivashchenko a political prisoner. The former Ukrainian soldier was convicted on criminal charges of participation in a terrorist group for having previously served in Ukraine’s Aidar Battalion. The prosecution and conviction of Serhii Ivashchenko violated international humanitarian law and his right to a fair trial. We demand the release of Serhii Ivashchenko, that all criminal charges against him be dropped, and that his treatment comply with international law.
What were the charges against Serhii Ivashchenko?
On 31 August 2022, in Starobelsk in the occupied part of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, Russian security forces broke into the home of 54-year-old Serhii Ivashchenko, searched his home and detained him. Three months later, on 7 December 2022, an investigator called Ivashchenko’s wife and said Ivashchenko had been charged with participating in a terrorist group (Article 205.4, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and that he was being held on remand in Luhansk. The basis for the charge was the allegation that Serhii Ivashchenko had worked as a stoker in the Aidar Battalion in 2014. In July 2023, Ivashchenko was moved to Russia’s Rostov region. His trial, which took place over 12 sessions, ended on 11 June 2024 when Ivashchenko was sentenced to six years in a general regime penal colony. The court of appeal upheld the sentence.
Why do we consider Serhii Ivashchenko a political prisoner?
Serhii Ivashchenko was not accused of committing war crimes. He was prosecuted and convicted solely for serving in the Aidar Battalion. The Russian courts’ designation of this Ukrainian unit as a terrorist organisation is illegal and unjustified. The Aidar 24th Separate Assault Battalion is part of the Ukrainian army and carries out combat missions under the country’s military command. Moreover, the provisions of anti-terrorism legislation are not applicable to the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Under international law, Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine is illegal and criminal, while Ukraine’s actions in defending itself against aggression are lawful and justified. Defending one’s country from armed invasion is not a crime.
Furthermore, Ivashchenko resigned from the Ukrainian armed forces long before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His prosecution and conviction grossly violated the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Such criminal cases brought against former Ukrainian military personnel are part of a propaganda campaign by the Russian authorities, intended to justify Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
A detailed description of Serhii Ivashchenko’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Serhii Ivashchenko at the following address:
RU:
668210, Республика Тыва, Улуг-Хемский район, г. Шагонар, ул. Энергетиков, д. 1, ФКУ ИК-4 УФСИН РФ по Республике Тыва, Иващенко Сергей Юрьевич, 1968 г. р.
EN:
Serhii Yuriovych Ivashchenko (born 1968), Penal Colony No. 4, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Republic of Tyva, 1 Energetikov Street, Shagonar, Ulug-Khemsky district, Republic of Tyva, 668210, Russia.
You can also send emails via ZT (for payment with all bank cards) and Memorial-France (free of charge).
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
