Viktor Azarovsky received eight years and six months in prison, Oleg Shokol – seven years and six months, Denis Vasilik – seven years. Despite the illegal movement of teenagers from the occupied territory, they were tried as citizens of the Russian Federation. The trial took place behind closed doors – without access to independent observers and international organizations. The initiative notes that the “evidence” of their guilt is dubious. By the time of their arrest in the fall of 2023, they were only 16–17 years old.
For more than two years, they were illegally detained in improper conditions, subjected to beatings, torture and psychological pressure, the report says. They were moved between places of detention, in particular to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Mariupol and pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Taganrog, known for the brutal treatment of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war.
In Taganrog, according to Azarovsky’s lawyer, the guy began to have serious health problems: he could not sleep or eat, and the skin on his hands was covered with wounds.
“This is not justice. This is the persecution of children and a war crime. Russia systematically uses illegal detentions, torture and trials as a tool of pressure on Ukrainian children, violating international humanitarian law,” the message says.
