Crimeans, forcibly conscripted into Russian army, are not criminals, but victims – prosecutor's office

IRYNA BALACHUK — WEDNESDAY, 27 JULY 2022, 3:56

The head of the Crimean prosecutor's office, Ihor Ponochovnyi, has said that Crimeans who were forcibly conscripted into the Russian army or illegal formations are victims of war, not criminals, if they have not committed other crimes.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine

Quote from Ponochovnyi: "Crimeans forcibly conscripted into the ranks of the Russian army or other illegal formations are victims of the armed conflict, not criminals.

Consequently, they cannot and will not be prosecuted if they have not committed any other crime while serving in the occupation army."

Details: The head of the prosecutor's office said that during the 8 years of occupation of the Crimean peninsula, more than 34,000 Crimeans have been forced into military service in the Russian army.

He believes that the creation of a mobilisation centre in occupied Crimea may indicate a hidden mobilisation on the peninsula to involve Crimeans in the war, as the Russian army is suffering numerous losses and needs to replenish its human resources.

Ponochovnyi emphasised that such actions of the occupiers violate the norms of international humanitarian law, in particular the provisions of the IV Geneva Convention on the Protection of the Civilian Population during the 1949 war, and are a war crime that has no statute of limitations.

According to him, within the limits of the national legislation, the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Region qualifies such actions under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the sanction of which provides up to 12 years of imprisonment.

At the same time, Ponochovnyi reiterated that the actions of Ukrainian citizens from the occupied territory who voluntarily join the armed forces of Russia can be qualified as treason.