Serbia sentences mercenary who fought on Russia’s side in Ukraine

EUROPEAN PRAVDA — FRIDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 2022, 21:17

On Friday, a Serbian court found 31-year-old Vlado Stanic guilty of mercenary activities, as he participated in the war in Ukraine on the side of the Russian Federation; the court sentenced him to one year in prison.

Source: European Pravda, citing the Serbian Service of Radio Svoboda (Liberty).

The investigation says that in March 2015, Stanic joined the so-called Hussar Regiment, which fought as part of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic". The Serb stayed in occupied Snizhne town, where he guarded a checkpoint, wearing the uniform of militants.

In July 2022, Stanic was detained at the Belgrade airport. He admitted to have committed the crime. Taking into consideration his repentance, the judge delivered the mildest possible sentence for mercenary, one year of imprisonment with confiscation of the foreign passport.

At the same time, Stanic was released from custody right in the courtroom; he will serve his time later.

In a comment to Radio Svoboda (Liberty), the man said that he expected a suspended prison term, and admitted that he did not regret participating in the war in Ukraine on the Russian side.

"I am a Serbian volunteer. I defended my Russian brothers with great honour and pride. Even if I was sentenced to a hundred years in prison, I would not regret it," Stanic said.

According to estimates of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Republic of Serbia, as of December 2018, more than 300 Serbs went to Ukraine to participate in the war on the side of the Russian militants. 32 of them were sentenced in Serbia, and in most cases, these were the mildest possible sentences.

In addition, some of the sentenced Serbs went to Ukraine to fight on the Russian side again, even after the verdict was announced.

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