Vasyl Bovkun, Oleksandr Maksymchuk, Anton Saikhiev, and Artur Tkachenko are political prisoners
Four Ukrainian military servicemen have been sentenced to terms ranging from 18 to 20 years in a strict regime penal colony for serving in the Azov Battalion
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers four Ukrainian prisoners of war – Vasyl Bovkun, Oleksandr Maksymchuk, Anton Saikhiev and Artur Tkachenko – political prisoners. The four Ukrainian citizens were convicted on charges of participating in a terrorist group and undergoing training to carry out terrorist activities for serving in the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian military unit. The criminal prosecutions and convictions of Bovkun, Maksymchuk, Saikhiev and Tkachenko violated their rights to a fair trial and other rights and freedoms guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War. We demand that all criminal charges against the four Ukrainian prisoners of war be dropped and that their treatment be in compliance with international law.
What were the charges against Bovkun, Maksymchuk, Saikhiev and Tkachenko?
Bovkun, Maksymchuk and Tkachenko served in the Azov Battalion special forces unit. Saikhiev served in the 12th Operational Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard, which included the Azov Battalion. In May 2022, the four took part in the defence of Mariupol, where they were captured.
The four servicemen were charged with participating in a terrorist group (Article 205.4, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and undergoing training in terrorist activities (Article 205.3 CC RF) solely for having undergone military training and serving in the Azov Battalion. Maksymchuk said during the investigation he was repeatedly tortured to make him confess to the charges.
All four men were sentenced to serve long terms in a strict regime penal colony. On 17 October 2024, Bovkun was sentenced to 18 years; on 27 November 2024, Anton Saikhiev was sentenced to 18 years; on 5 December 2024, Oleksandr Maksymchuk was sentenced to 20 years; and on 8 April 2025, Artur Tkachenko was sentenced to 18 years.
While in prison, a new criminal case was opened against Anton Saikhiev. In May 2026, he was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment on charges of justifying terrorism (Article 205.2, Part 1, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Why do we consider Vasyl Bovkun, Oleksandr Maksymchuk, Anton Saikhiev, and Artur Tkachenko political prisoners?
Contrary to international law, the Russian authorities prosecute Ukrainian servicemen for performing their duties in an official unit of the Ukrainian army. All captured servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces and the National Guard of Ukraine have the status of prisoners of war and consequently cannot be prosecuted for the mere fact of participating in hostilities during an armed conflict.
The Azov Battalion is part of the Ukrainian National Guard and carries out combat missions under the country’s military command. The charge that Bovkun, Maksymchuk, Saikhiev and Tkachenko underwent training in terrorist activities is absurd. They did not receive training in terrorism, but underwent standard military training as members of their military unit.
The torture to which Maksymchuk and probably other defendants were subjected, as well as the very fact of their criminal prosecution, were in gross violation of the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
A detailed description of the cases of Vasyl Bovkun, Oleksandr Maksymchuk, Anton Saikhiev, and Artur Tkachenko and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Oleksandr Maksymchuk at the following address:
RU:
652051, Кемеровская область, г. Юрга, ул. Окрайная, д. 1, ФКУ ИК-41 ГУФСИН России по Кемеровской области, Максимчук Александр Николаевич, 1994 г. р.
EN:
Oleksandr Mykolayovych Maksymchuk (born 1994), Penal Colony No. 41, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Kemerovo Oblast, 1 Okraynaya Street, Yurga, Kemerovo Oblast, 652051, Russia
You can write to Anton Saikhiev at the following address:
RU:
670000, г. Улан-Удэ, ул. Пристанская, 4, ФКУ СИЗО-1 УФСИН России по Республике Бурятия, Сайхиев Антон Павлович, 1987 г. р.
EN:
Anton Pavlovych Saikhiev (born 1987), Remand Prison No. 1, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Republic of Buryatia, 4 Pristanskaya Street, Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, 670000, 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.
If you have information about where Vasyl Bovkun and Artur Tkachenko are being held, please let us know by email to: [email protected]
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
