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Moscow criticizes ‘politicized’ Finnish life sentence for Russian citizen
(MENAFN) The Russian embassy in Finland has strongly criticized a Helsinki court's decision to sentence Russian national Voislav Torden to life in prison, calling the ruling “biased” and “politically motivated.” Torden, accused of participating in combat against Ukrainian forces in Donbass in 2014, was convicted on four out of five war crimes charges related to his role as deputy commander of the Rusich volunteer unit.
Prosecutors claimed that Torden, formerly known as Yan Petrovsky, was involved in an ambush against Ukraine’s Aidar battalion in Lugansk on September 5, 2014, which resulted in 22 Ukrainian soldiers killed and five wounded. Torden has denied all allegations.
In a statement, the Russian embassy denounced the trial as “shameful” and part of Finland’s broader “hybrid war” against Russia, accusing the country of fostering an atmosphere of “Russophobia” and “war hysteria.”
Aidar, a Ukrainian nationalist volunteer battalion, has been accused of multiple war crimes by international human rights organizations. Amnesty International reported in 2014 that its fighters were responsible for abductions, unlawful detentions, torture, and possible executions.
The court cited social media posts by Torden, in which he allegedly boasted about the killings and vowed that Rusich fighters would show no mercy. His lawyers have announced plans to appeal, with attorney Heikki Lampela stating that his client was “shocked” by the ruling and maintains his innocence.
Another defense lawyer, Natalia Malgina, argued that Torden was sentenced based solely on being identified as Rusich’s deputy commander, despite not holding that position at the time of the alleged crimes.
Finland, a NATO member since 2022 and a strong supporter of Ukraine, had previously refused to extradite Torden to Kiev after his 2023 arrest for migration violations, citing concerns over his ability to receive a fair trial in Ukraine. However, he was later re-arrested and charged with war crimes, leading to the life sentence.
Prosecutors claimed that Torden, formerly known as Yan Petrovsky, was involved in an ambush against Ukraine’s Aidar battalion in Lugansk on September 5, 2014, which resulted in 22 Ukrainian soldiers killed and five wounded. Torden has denied all allegations.
In a statement, the Russian embassy denounced the trial as “shameful” and part of Finland’s broader “hybrid war” against Russia, accusing the country of fostering an atmosphere of “Russophobia” and “war hysteria.”
Aidar, a Ukrainian nationalist volunteer battalion, has been accused of multiple war crimes by international human rights organizations. Amnesty International reported in 2014 that its fighters were responsible for abductions, unlawful detentions, torture, and possible executions.
The court cited social media posts by Torden, in which he allegedly boasted about the killings and vowed that Rusich fighters would show no mercy. His lawyers have announced plans to appeal, with attorney Heikki Lampela stating that his client was “shocked” by the ruling and maintains his innocence.
Another defense lawyer, Natalia Malgina, argued that Torden was sentenced based solely on being identified as Rusich’s deputy commander, despite not holding that position at the time of the alleged crimes.
Finland, a NATO member since 2022 and a strong supporter of Ukraine, had previously refused to extradite Torden to Kiev after his 2023 arrest for migration violations, citing concerns over his ability to receive a fair trial in Ukraine. However, he was later re-arrested and charged with war crimes, leading to the life sentence.
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