Vadym Tyvonenko, Oleh Doha, Vladyslav Hurin and Zoltan Bodok are political prisoners
Four Ukrainian prisoners of war have been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment for serving in the Aidar Battalion
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers four prisoners of war – Vadym Tyvonenko, Oleh Doha, Vladyslav Hurin, and Zoltan Bodok – political prisoners. The four Ukrainians were convicted on charges of ‘participation in a terrorist group’ for serving in the Aidar Battalion. Their criminal prosecutions and convictions violated international humanitarian law and the right to a fair trial. We demand that the convictions of Vadym Tyvonenko, Oleh Doha, Vladyslav Hurin and Zoltan Bodok be quashed and that their treatment be in compliance with international law.
What were the charges against Vadym Tyvonenko, Oleh Doha, Vladyslav Hurin and Zoltan Bodok?
All four Ukrainian citizens served in the Aidar 24th Separate Assault Battalion. They participated in armed clashes with the Russian army, which invaded Ukrainian territory, and were taken prisoner by Russia in the summer and autumn of 2024.
On 23 October 2024, a court in Russian-occupied Luhansk remanded them in custody on charges of participating in a terrorist group (Article 205.4, Part 2, Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
In April 2025, three different judges of the Southern Military Court sentenced the prisoners of war to identical punishments of 12 years’ imprisonment, with the first three years to be served in a cell-type prison.
Why do we consider Vadym Tyvonenko, Oleh Doha, Vladyslav Hurin and Zoltan Bodok political prisoners?
All the defendants were convicted of participation in a terrorist group (Article 205.4 CC RF) solely for having served in the Aidar Battalion. The Russian courts’ designation of this Ukrainian military unit as a terrorist group is unlawful and unjustified. The Aidar 24th Separate Assault Battalion is part of the Ukrainian army and carries out combat missions under orders of the country’s military command. The norms of anti-terrorism legislation are not applicable to the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
In international law, the Russian Federation’s military action against Ukraine is illegal and criminal, while Ukraine’s actions in defending itself against aggression are legal and justified. Defending one’s country from armed invasion is not a crime.
The prosecution of members of the Aidar Battalion, including those who had served in the Battalion in the past, is in gross violation of the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Criminal prosecution of the defendants would be permissible only if there was evidence they had committed war crimes. However, none of the defendants were charged with such crimes.
A detailed description of this case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Oleh Doha, Vladyslav Hurin and Vadym Tyvonenko at the following addresses:
RU:
433503, Ульяновская область, г. Димитровград, ул. Калугина, д. 66, ФКУ Т УФСИН России по Ульяновской области, Дога Олег Иванович 1974 г. р.
EN:
Oleh Ivanovych Doha (born 1974), Prison, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Ulyanovsk Oblast, 66 Kalugina Street, Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Oblast, 433503, Russia.
RU:
600020, г. Владимир, ул. Большая Нижегородская, д. 67, ФКУ Т-2 УФСИН России по Владимирской области, Гурин Владислав Вадимович, 1993 г. р.
EN:
Vladyslav Vadymovych Hurin (born 1993), Prison No.2, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Vladimir Oblast, 67 Bolshaya Nizhegorodskaya Street, Vladimir, 600020, Russia.
RU:
600020, г. Владимир, ул. Большая Нижегородская, д. 67, ФКУ Т-2 УФСИН России по Владимирской области, Тивоненко Вадим Николаевич, 1988 г. р.
EN:
Vadym Mykolayovych Tyvonenko (born 1988), Prison No. 2, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Vladimir Oblast, 67 Bolshaya Nizhegorodskaya Street, Vladimir, 600020, Russia.
You can also send emails via F-Pismo (for payment with Russian bank cards), 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.
If you have information about Zoltan Bodok’s place of detention, please let us know by email: [email protected].
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
