Belgian 25-Year-Old Convicted in Russian Court for Fighting in Ukraine

A Belgian national, aged 25, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by a Russian court for fighting against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The man, identified only as Pierre M., was found guilty of ” Participating in illegal armed formations, targeted at the seizure of power or territorial integrity of Russia‘s neighboring states” by the Moscow City Court on Tuesday. He had been arrested in Russia in 2019 while entering the country to visit his mother, and confessed to having fought in the Ukrainian army from 2014 to 2016. His lawyer maintains that he acted to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and did not commit any crimes under international law. The case has raised concerns about Russia’s treatment of foreign fighters and the growing tension between Moscow and Brussels over the situation in Ukraine.