Russia, which launched its offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, systematically considers foreigners who fight in the Ukrainian troops as “mercenaries”, a charge that carries up to 15 years in prison.
The Russian Justice sentenced two Colombian citizens to 13 years in prison for allegedly fighting as mercenaries in favor of Ukraine. The information was released by the Russian prosecutor.
It was learned that the two men, former Colombian soldiers, were presented before a court administered by Russia, but located in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.
The identities of the former soldiers are José Aarón Medina Aranda and Alexander Ante. Russia opened a criminal case against them for “mercenaries.”
«It’s been many years. “I don’t know if we will ever see each other again, it’s the sad reality,” he declared to the AFP Cielo Paz, wife of José Medina, a 37-year-old former Colombian soldier, convicted along with his compatriot Alexander Ante, 48 years old.
The prosecutor’s office said on Telegram that Ante and Medina were convicted of participating in hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The two men were missing for six weeks after landing at the Maiquetía International Airport, in La Guaira. From Venezuela they would take a flight to Colombia, after returning from fighting in the Ukrainian war.
They enlisted at the end of 2023. Ante left Colombia in October and Medina in November.
In July 2024, the two former soldiers planned to return together to their homes in Popayán, Cauca department, in southwestern Colombia. They flew from Madrid to Caracas, from where they intended to continue their trip to Bogotá, but there their relatives lost track of them.
On August 28, 2024, a Moscow court announced the provisional arrest of the two Colombians, accused of “mercenaries.”
Medina’s wife found out about the arrest through the complaints and has not spoken to him. He also condemned that they have not received support from Gustavo Petro’s government.
Russia, which launched its offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, systematically considers foreigners fighting in the Ukrainian troops as “mercenaries”, a charge that carries up to 15 years in prison, and denies them treatment as prisoners of war with the protections provided for in the Geneva Convention.
Several foreigners have been tried by courts located in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia in the last three years.
In May, an Australian was sentenced to 13 years in prison for having fought between March and December 2024 against the Russian army alongside Ukrainian soldiers.
In October 2024, a Moscow court sentenced Stephen Hubbard, a 70-year-old American citizen, to six years and ten months in prison for “mercenariat” for kyiv.
For its part, Ukraine announced in April the capture of two Chinese citizens accused of having fought in the Russian army.
With information from EFE
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country..
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