Since 2024, Russian courts have handed down at least 180 in absentia sentences to foreign volunteers who fought for Ukraine. Georgian citizens lead the way (58), followed by representatives of the United States (22) and the United Kingdom (12).
Human rights activist Nikolai Polozov admits that the significant number of Georgian citizens among those convicted may be due to the current Georgian authorities, who, he says, are loyal to Russia, sharing their personal data with Moscow. This poses risks to the return of Georgian Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters to their homeland.
Lawyers are challenging the classification of most of the sentences as "participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict," emphasizing that all of the convicted are career servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It is noted that Interpol is likely refusing to issue a wanted list for them, considering the prosecution politically motivated.
