The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted four Russian military personnel for war crimes against an American who was in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. It is noted that the indictment was the first precedent after the adoption of the relevant law.
Source. This was reported by Voice of America with reference to US Attorney General Merrick Garland and the US Department of Justice.
The American, whose name has not been disclosed, has lived in the village of Mylove in the Kherson region with his Ukrainian wife since 2021.
The investigation suspects four Russian military officers – officers Suren Mkrtchan and Dmitry Budnik, as well as two soldiers Valery and Nazar (surnames withheld – ed.) – of committing these crimes.
"After Russian troops invaded Milove, the victim was abducted from his home by three defendants – Mkrtchan, who was one of the commanders, and Valeriy and Nazar, lower-ranking soldiers – and their accomplices," said U.S. Attorney General and Secretary of Justice Merrick Garland during a press conference at the Department of Justice.
"During the kidnapping, we allege that the defendants threw the victim to the ground while he was naked, tied his hands behind his back, pointed a gun at his head, and beat him with their feet, fists, and the butts of their guns," he added.
Garland said that, according to the Justice Department, the American was taken to prison and tortured during interrogation.
"Again, they beat him with a gun. They punched him in the chest and stomach. They threatened to shoot him. They took off his clothes and took pictures of him. One of the conspirators threatened him with sexual violence. And during the interrogation, when the victim's answers did not satisfy the defendants, we allege that Budnik, who was also the commander, threatened the victim with death and asked him for his last word," the US Secretary of Justice added.
"These charges against the four Russian-linked servicemen are the first criminal charges brought by the Department of Justice under the U.S. war crimes statute. They also represent an important step toward accountability for the Russian regime's illegal war in Ukraine. Our work is far from over," Garland emphasized.
The U.S. government maintains that the victim did not participate in hostilities in Ukraine and is therefore considered a "protected person" under international humanitarian law.
The investigation, which lasted a year, involved the FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security.
Answering questions from journalists, Garland said that this is the first, but not the last, war crimes case committed by Russians that the US Department of Justice plans to announce in the near future.