A Finnish court on Friday sentenced Russian ultranationalist Vojislav Torden to life in prison for war crimes committed in Ukraine in 2014, including the mutilation of a wounded Ukrainian soldier.The Helsinki District Court found Torden, a commander in the Russian far-right paramilitary group Rusich, guilty of four war crimes in eastern Ukraines Luhansk region.Prosecutors had accused Torden, who used to go by the nameYan Petrovsky, of five counts of war crimes, including responsibility for an ambush that resulted in the deaths of 22 Ukrainian soldiers.However, the court dismissed the main charge, ruling that the prosecution had not proven that Rusich and Torden were responsible for organizing and carrying out the attack."It has not been possible to conclude from the evidence...
that the Rusich unit or group was specifically responsible for organizing and carrying out the ambush and arson attack in all respects," the court said.Torden was, however, convicted of leading Rusich fighters at the scene after the ambush and of killing a wounded soldier.
He was also found guilty of authorizing fighters to carve Rusichs symbol a kolovrat, or spoked wheel into the cheek of another injured soldier, Ivan Issyk, who later died from his wounds.The kolovrat is frequently used by ultranationalist and neo-Nazi groups in Russia and Eastern Europe.Additionally, the court ruled that Torden took and shared degrading photos of a fallen soldier on social media.Finland applies the legal principle of "universal jurisdiction," allowing it to prosecute serious crimes committed anywhere in the world.A Message from The Moscow Times:Dear readers,We are facing unprecedented challenges.
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution.
This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia.
The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced.
But to continue our work, we need your help.Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference.
If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2.
It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression.
Thank you for standing with us.Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later.Remind me next monthThank you! Your reminder is set.We will send you one reminder email a month from now.
For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.