Prague court upholds sentence of mercenary who fought against Ukraine since 2014

The Supreme Court of Appeal in Prague on 20 December has upheld the 21-year prison sentence of former military officer Martin Sukup for his active participation in combat actions in Ukraine on the side of the Russians between 2014 and 2018.

Source: Radio Prague

Details: The court found Sukup guilty of committing a terrorist attack and participating in a terrorist group. The man is being prosecuted as a fugitive from justice. 

Vladimír Stibořík, the presiding judge of the appeal board, said that there was no doubt that the crime had taken place and that it had been committed by Sukup. If he comes back to Czechia, he will be able to request a new hearing. 

Martin Sukup was discharged from the Czech army in 1997. According to the verdict, he travelled to Donetsk Oblast in June 2014 with the intention of actively supporting separatist groups in Ukraine’s east. There, he was armed and equipped and took an active part in combat actions against Ukrainian forces. 

According to the prosecutor's office, he held various positions in the military structures of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic [self-proclaimed and non-recognised quasi-state formation in Donetsk Oblast, orchestrated by Russia – ed.] until at least May 2018. His further fate is unknown.

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