Send Letter eng
Prisoners of war

94% of Ukrainian Prisoners of War Convicted in Russia Are Accused of Terrorism

Monitoring of unlawful court cases against Ukrainian prisoners of war, conducted by the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR), shows that courts in the occupied territories mostly convict POWs for “murders,” while courts in Russia hand down verdicts based on “terrorism” charges.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, at least 66 Ukrainian POWs have been convicted in person by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don. During the same period, courts in the occupied territories of Ukraine have issued verdicts against at least 289 individuals. These figures are current as of April 2025.

By analyzing the charges under which Ukrainians are tried in Rostov, MIHR found that 94% of the prisoners are convicted of “terrorism” under Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code. Fabricated accusations often accompany these terrorism charges of seizure of power:

  • organization of, or participation in, an illegal armed group;
  • preparation for and attempted commission of a crime;
  • complicity in a crime;
  • illegal trafficking of weapons.

Russia is convicting Ukrainian POWs simply for participating in the war, which the Geneva Conventions categorically prohibit. Sentences for “terrorism” are primarily handed down to members of the Azov Brigade and the Aidar Battalion. Russia has unlawfully designated these official Ukrainian military units as terrorist organizations and is now issuing illegal verdicts against their members.

At the same time, in the occupied territories of Ukraine, POWs are illegally convicted of:

  • murders;
  • use of prohibited means and methods of warfare, including mistreatment of prisoners of war or civilians;
  • intentional destruction or damage of property.

According to testimonies from former prisoners collected by MIHR, Russians and their collaborators force captives to confess to crimes they did not commit through torture. In this way, Russia attempts to whitewash its image before the international community by blaming Ukrainian soldiers for the killing of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

It is important to note that MIHR’s monitoring shows that even unlawfully convicted prisoners of war may still be eligible for exchanges. So far, at least 16 military personnel convicted in Rostov and 50 soldiers sentenced in the occupied territories have been returned to Ukraine. These figures are not included in the statistical data presented in the infographics.

Previously, the Media Initiative for Human Rights, together with partners, published a study on Russia’s policy of judicial persecution of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war, identifying evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The complete study is available here.

This publication was compiled with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. It’s content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.

0 Comments

Leave a comment

Your e-mail address will not be published. Mandatory fields are marked *

Similar posts
Prisoners of war
MIHR contributes to the development of a map documenting the locations where the Azov fighters are held in Russian captivity

28 May 2025 saw a presentation of the Inferno project’s website and interactive map in Kyiv. This initiative is led by the Azovstal Defenders’ Families Association and the International Cooperation Department of the 1st Azov Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. The Media Initiative for Human Rights has joined the project as one of the partners by providing data to create the map of detention facilities.

29 May 2025

Prisoners of war
The great exchange: a report on how a thousand Ukrainians returned home

Gaunt men — former prisoners of war — step off the bus. In the hospital yard, families of the missing hold photos, searching for a glance, a word, a sign of recognition. Nearby — silence, sirens, and the hope that someone might say: “I saw him.” A report from the exchange.

25 May 2025

Prisoners of war
Three Sleepless Years, Cancer and Despair: Families of Captive Marines Speak of “Dual Torture”

Around 1,300 Ukrainian marines remain in Russian captivity. For the past three years, their families have been fighting to bring them home. But alongside this uphill battle is another, quieter war – the fight to preserve their health. Families describe their experience as a form of dual torture: while the marines endure physical and psychological abuse in Russian prisons, the pain and suffering reverberate back home.

16 April 2025

More articles
Our social media
Relevant publications
More articles
Advocacy
Tribunal for Putin: leaders of the non-Western world remain reluctant to hold Russia accountable for the war against Ukraine

While the West has firmly supported the initiative to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Russian Aggression Against Ukraine, many governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America continue to keep at bay. These pressing issues were the focus of an open discussion titled “Beyond the West: the Global Vision of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression” hosted by the MIHR.

30 May 2025

Prisoners of war
MIHR contributes to the development of a map documenting the locations where the Azov fighters are held in Russian captivity

28 May 2025 saw a presentation of the Inferno project’s website and interactive map in Kyiv. This initiative is led by the Azovstal Defenders’ Families Association and the International Cooperation Department of the 1st Azov Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. The Media Initiative for Human Rights has joined the project as one of the partners by providing data to create the map of detention facilities.

29 May 2025

Enforced disappearances
The body of a man with a gunshot wound to the head, who went missing in 2022, was found in a field in the Kherson region. His friend is still missing

Both men were from the Kherson region. On 26 March 2022, they set out together from Kyiv to return home. Ruslan headed for the Bilozerka district, and Khidir headed for the Chaplynka district. Kherson region was already under occupation at that time, but civilians could still move in and out.

28 May 2025

More articles