Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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US Charges Russian-Affiliated Soldiers With War Crimes

by Jeff Seldin

   Washington --

   The United States is charging four Russian-affiliated soldiers with war
   crimes for what American prosecutors describe as the heinous abuse of a
   U.S. citizen following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of last
   year.

   The charges -- the first ever filed by the U.S. under its nearly
   30-year-old war crimes statute -- include conspiracy to commit war
   crimes, unlawful confinement, torture, and inhumane treatment,
   following the takeover of the village of Mylove, in the Kherson oblast
   of southern Ukraine in April 2022.

   "As the world has witnessed the horrors of Russia's brutal invasion of
   Ukraine, so has the United States Department of Justice," Attorney
   General Merrick Garland said Wednesday.

   "The Justice Department and the American people have a long memory," he
   added. "We will not forget the atrocities in Ukraine, and we will never
   stop working to bring those responsible to justice."

   According to the nine-page indictment, the perpetrators include Suren
   Seiranovich Mkrtchyan and Dmitry Budnik, described as commanding
   officers with either the Russian Armed Forces or the so-called Donetsk
   People's Republic.

   Two other soldiers named in the indictment -- Valerii and Nazar -- are
   identified only by their first names.

   Garland and other U.S. officials said Wednesday the victim was a
   non-combatant living with his Ukrainian wife in Mylove when the four
   Russians kidnapped him from his home.

   They allegedly then stripped him naked, tied his hands behind his back,
   put a gun to his head, and beat him, before taking him to an improvised
   Russian military compound.

   The indictment states the victim was then taken to an improvised jail
   where he was subject to multiple interrogations and "acts specifically
   intended to inflict severe and serious physical and mental pain and
   suffering."

   Additionally, the indictment alleges at least one of the Russian
   soldiers sexually assaulted the victim, and that the Russians carried
   out a mock execution.

   "They moved the gun just before pulling the trigger, and the bullet
   went just past his head," Garland said. "After the mock execution, the
   victim was beaten and interrogated again."

   The victim was also forced to perform manual labor, such as digging
   trenches for Russian forces, until he was finally released after a
   little over a week in detention.

   U.S. officials said the charges against the four Russian-affiliated
   soldiers stem from an investigation that started in August 2022, when
   investigators with the Department of Justice, the FBI and the
   Department of Homeland security traveled to meet with the victim after
   he had been evacuated from Ukraine.

   They said evidence was also collected in collaboration with Ukrainian
   officials.

   U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday
   investigators also met with members of the victim's family and with
   multiple witnesses who were able to confirm Russian forces occupied the
   village of Mylove and the surrounding areas during the time the alleged
   war crimes took place.

   "We cannot allow such horrific crimes to be ignored. To do so would
   only increase the risk they will be repeated," Mayorkas said.

   "As today's announcement makes clear, when an American citizen's human
   rights are violated, their government will spare no effort and spare no
   resources to bring the perpetrators to justice," he added.

   VOA contacted the Russian Embassy in Washington for comment about the
   charges. Embassy officials have yet to respond.

   Additionally, it is unclear whether any of the four Russian-affiliated
   troops will ever face trial.

   "That is a million-dollar question," said Susana SáCouta, director of
   the War Crimes Research Office at American University's Washington
   College of Law.

   "What the war crimes statute allows is, if they find themselves in this
   country [the United States], they can be arrested pursuant to these
   charges," SáCouta told VOA. "But that's, of course, an extraordinary
   if. I don't foresee it happening."

   Still, she said simply bringing the charges will likely send a message.

   "This is a significant signal, again, of support for accountability for
   anyone --Russian nationals or otherwise -- who commit war crimes in the
   context of conflict, particularly now in the context of Ukraine,"
   SáCouta said.

   U.S. officials, meanwhile, have indicated that while the war crimes
   charges announced on Wednesday are the first, they likely will not be
   the last.

   "You should expect more," Garland told reporters. "I can't get into too
   many details."