- Three Ukrainian teenagers from Melitopol are detained in Russia, accused of terrorism without evidence.
- Human rights activists report torture and violations of international law during their detention and trial.
- Experts argue the charges are politically motivated, and their deportation to Russia may constitute a war crime.
KYIV — In the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, Viktor Azarovsky’s hometown of Melitopol was quickly occupied by Russian troops.
Despite the military taking over his city, in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, the teenager’s life remained largely the same, although he now studied remotely at a Ukrainian school.
But at the end of October 2023, when he was 16, unknown individuals detained the teenager when he was leaving his house. He is now on trial in Russia on charges of organizing a group that planned a terrorist attack, sabotage, and the manufacture and storage of explosives.
Azarovsky is one of several Ukrainian teenagers who have been taken to Russia and face charges of espionage, sabotage, treason, and terrorism — crimes for which human rights defenders and lawyers say there is no evidence.
