PGO appealing acquittal verdict of Russian serviceman
The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) plans to appeal the acquittal of a Russian serviceman in a case of violating the laws and customs of war.
As the press service notes, the prosecutor's office insisted during the court hearings that the Russian Armed Forces serviceman be found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, on October 30, Borodiansky District Court acquitted the defendant.
"We disagree with this verdict, as we believe the evidence clearly indicates that the accused committed a war crime. The state is obligated to ensure the inevitability of accountability for crimes against Ukraine, and we will use all legal mechanisms to restore justice," noted Dmytro Syniuk, the senior prosecutor in the case and a prosecutor in the Prosecutor General's Office.
Earlier, Borodiansky District Court found that the accused was a member of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) and was stationed in the village of Blystavytsia, Bucha district, Kyiv region, as part of the occupation forces from February 24, 2022, to March 31, 2022.
It has been confirmed that on April 2, 2022, he sent a parcel weighing 24,340 kg from the CDEK express mail office in Mozyr, Republic of Belarus, to his place of residence - Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai, Russian Federation.
The court does not question the victim's testimony, which states that Russian military personnel were in her home, and that during this time, her property was stolen from there, in particular an angle grinder, a screwdriver, an electric grinder, an electric saw, a hard drive, a processor, a video camera from a computer, and other items (men's clothing: jackets, sweaters, trousers, shoes, etc.).
At the same time, the court found that the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence that the defendant was the one who stole property from the victim's home. Therefore, the man was found not guilty of the alleged crime, and the pretrial detention measure was revoked.
The court also dismissed the victim's civil claim against the defendant for damages in the amount of UAH 14,804 and 12 kopecks.