Russia convicts Australian fighting for Ukraine - Foreign ministry demands release
Photo: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has sharply condemned the verdict of a Russian court that sentenced Australian citizen Oskar Jenkins to 13 years in prison for taking part in combat operations on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Reuters informs.
She called the trial a "sham" and demanded that Russia comply with international humanitarian law.
According to the Russian court, 33-year-old Jenkins was found guilty of "mercenarism" and sentenced to serve time in a high-security penal colony located in eastern Ukraine, which is under Russian control.
Penny Wong stated that Jenkins holds the status of a prisoner of war, as he served in the regular Ukrainian army, and therefore must be granted protections under the Geneva Convention.
The minister emphasized that Australia will continue to seek his release with the support of Ukraine and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
According to Australian media, Jenkins was captured in 2023. In a video circulated by pro-Russian sources, he was shown in military uniform being questioned about his participation in the war as a mercenary.
Australia, one of Ukraine’s most active non-NATO partners, supplies Kyiv with military aid and equipment and has imposed strict sanctions against Russia, including bans on raw material exports and blacklisting around a thousand individuals and entities.
Sentencing in Russia
As reported earlier, a Russian garrison military court in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sentenced a Russian serviceman for "voluntarily surrendering" to Ukrainian forces.
He was sentenced to 15 years in a high-security penal colony.
RBC-Ukraine also reported on show trials in Russia targeting members of the Azov Battalion.
