The Helsinki District Court has imprisoned Russian Yan Petrovsky, also known as Vojislav Torden, who is suspected of committing crimes in Ukraine as a member of the neo-Nazi group Rusich.
According to the Helsingin Sanomat, the court considered the evidence that Petrovsky committed war crimes in 2014-2015 to be quite convincing. He is to be charged by May 31.
According to the prosecutor's office, the subject of the investigation launched in Finland is crimes against Ukrainian servicemen who were wounded or surrendered during the "armed conflict" that began in 2014 in eastern Ukraine.
Earlier in December, the court released Petrovsky from custody, but he was soon detained again.
Ukraine is seeking Petrovsky-Torden's extradition, but the Finnish Supreme Court refused to extradite the Russian, citing the fact that he could face torture in Ukraine. As a result, the Finnish authorities decided to investigate Petrovsky's possible crimes on their own, which is allowed by Finnish law.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, Petrovsky, together with the founder of the Rusych criminal group Milchakov, tortured Ukrainian prisoners, as well as looted and participated in the murders of civilians.
Background. As reported, the Finnish police, together with the Prosecutor General's Office, are studying the information provided by the Ukrainian side that would confirm the need to expel the Russian.