Jurist Defected Russia soldier sentenced to 23 years in prison

[Dadparvar]

A Russian military court sentenced a defected soldier to 23 years of imprisonment and a fine of 590,000 rubles (approximately $7,500), according to local media. Anton Hozhaev faced charges of performance management of a terrorist organization, treason, legalization of funds obtained by criminal means, and defection.

Hozhaev attended military school until he resigned in March of 2022, and he was arrested while trying to cross the border into Ukraine. The court found that Hozhaev passed military information to Ukraine in exchange for money and participated in the Freedom of Russia Legion and Atesh, a Crimean military partisan movement.

Hazhaev pled not guilty and insisted that the sooner the war ends, the less “financial and human resources” will be wasted. He stated:

I simply wanted to help a neighboring nation restore peace on their land, expel occupiers and governmental terrorists from their land. My wishes were the most peaceful. Moreover, it is not a secret that [authorities] in the Russian Federation recognize everyone who is against the aggressive politics of the country’s ruling as terrorists.

During the hearing, Hozhaev also shared that he was beaten and tortured by the Federal Security Forces (FSS) in an attempt to influence his admissions. During his last appearance in court, Hozhaev asked:

Please, stop calling me a soldier; I do not want to associate with the ‘biogarbage’ that are the Russian forces – it is a dirty dump, which was proven by the events after February 24, 2022. I also wanted to clarify: I did not lie to the FSS when I told them that I do not personally know anyone from Security Services of Ukraine or Ukraine police. Torturing me was not necessary. And in conclusion of my last appearance in court, I would like to address the whole Ukraine nation. My friends, do not be afraid, be braver, fight… I am innocent. Glory to Ukraine.

The post Defected Russia soldier sentenced to 23 years in prison appeared first on JURIST - News.

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