( Observer Network ) Recently, Ukraine tried a Russian soldier who was charged with allegedly killing a 62-year-old civilian in Ukraine. The case is considered the first trial of "Russian war crimes" in Ukraine. On May 18, several foreign media reported that the soldier admitted to "killing" during the trial. It is understood that the Ukrainian Security Bureau is fully responsible for the investigation of this case. In response, Kyrgyzstan repeatedly emphasized that he was completely unaware of the details of the case and accused the authorities of Kiev to fabricate everything in order to discredit the Russian army. Even Ukrainian human rights organizations were worried about the "fairness" of the case.
CNN report screenshot
Comprehensive CNN News Network (CNN), British Guardian reported on May 18 that on May 18, in the court of the Kiev Court, the Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin was taken to the glass-separated dock in the court by the police, facing dozens of cameras. During the trial, Xiximalin was accused of killing a 62-year-old Ukrainian man on the fourth day of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict (February 28). The case is considered the first trial of "war crimes" in Ukraine. If convicted, Xiximalin will face up to life imprisonment .
On May 18, when the judge asked him whether he admitted the above murder, Xiximalin admitted and said he was "crime". But when the court asked him other questions, he refused to speak.
According to Al Jazeera previously reported that Xiximalin was a member of a Russian tank force who was captured in March this year. The Ukrainian Attorney General's Office issued a statement on the 11th, saying that on the day of the incident, after the troops belonging to Xiximalin were locked up by the Ukrainian military, he and four other Russian soldiers drove to try to escape. In the small town of Chupakhivka, they saw an unarmed civilian riding a bicycle. So another soldier ordered Xiximalin to shoot the civilian to prevent him from exposing the whereabouts of the Russian army. So Xiximalin used the assault rifle and fired several shots at the victim in the head through the car window, causing the victim to die on the spot.
Al Jazeera pointed out that the previous statement did not explain how Xiximalin was arrested and what the others in the car were doing when the so-called murder occurred. However, the statement mentioned that the Security Service of Ukraine is fully responsible for investigating the case.
At the trial on May 18, the judge said that the "fire order" that Xiximalin obeyed at the time of the incident could not be regarded as a military order that could protect him from liability. "The person who issued the 'order' was not his commander. He knew this very well. Although they were all in the same car, they did not know each other," the judge added.
According to the process, the case is heard jointly by three judges, and they will also hear testimony from two witnesses at the hearing that is expected to last for two days. One is the victim's wife, and the other is a Russian soldier (captured by Ukraine) who was with Xiximalin at the time of the incident.
BBC reported on May 18 that Ukraine has identified more than 10,000 "war crimes" that Russia may commit. "Through the first trial, we have sent a clear signal that every perpetrator, every person who orders or assists in crime in Ukraine, should not evade responsibility."
Guardian pointed out in a report on the 18th that Ukraine "extraordinary" in collecting war crimes for Russian soldiers. It wrote: "Ukrainian prosecutors acted quickly" in the case, and it was "extremely unusual" to conduct a trial while the conflict was still ongoing, and it was even more "unprecedented" to conduct a trial within a few weeks after the incident. Ukraine has made the “rape” committed by the Russian army a priority for justice. Even in mine-covered areas, Ukrainian prosecutors are risking their lives to collect evidence of war crimes.
Russian soldiers in court.Photo from Reuters
Regarding the case, since the Ukrainian Security Bureau is fully responsible for the investigation, Russia has repeatedly responded to stressing that it is completely unaware of the details of the case and accused the Kiev authorities of fabricating everything in order to discredit the Russian army. "We still have no information on this case. And since our diplomatic mission is not in Ukraine, the ability to provide assistance is very limited. But again, I have no information on this case," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Dmitry Peskov ) at a daily press conference on Wednesday (May 18).
When asked about the Kremlin's position on alleged war crimes allegations committed by Russian troops in Ukraine, Peskov said the allegations were "unacceptable" and said most of them were "staged incidents".
Volodymyr Yavorskyy, a member of the Center for Civil Liberties of Ukraine, said in an interview with the Associated Press on May 12 that he expressed concern about the "Xiximalin case". The Ukrainian human rights group will closely monitor the trial of Shishimalin to see if it is fair, the group said. “It is difficult to comply with all the rules, norms and neutrality of court proceedings during wartime,” Yawowski said.
public reports show that since Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine, Ukraine and Western countries led by the United States have repeatedly accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine. Russia has also responded many times that the Russian army only attacks military infrastructure and civilians are not among them, while the Ukrainian army has always regarded civilians as human shields.
