The first Russian soldier to be tried for a war crime since Russia invaded Ukraine, Vadim Chichimarine, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on Monday (23 May) in kyiv for the murder of a civilian . His lawyer immediately announced that he would appeal.
“The court decided to recognize [Vadim] Chichimarine guilty and to sentence him to life imprisonment”, said Judge Serhi Agafonov. Sergeant Chichimarine, 21, had admitted shooting dead Oleksandr Chelipov, a 62-year-old civilian, in the northeast of the country during the first days of the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine. He is found guilty of war crimes and premeditated murder.
The soldier with a youthful face and a shaved head, dressed in a gray and blue hooded sweatshirt, listened, alone in a glass box, to the verdict read in Ukrainian while an interpreter translated it into Russian. “The murder was committed with direct intent”said the judge. ” [Vadim] Chichimarine violated the laws and customs of war”he continued.
The annulment of the verdict requested
The prosecution had requested, on Thursday, the maximum sentence, namely life imprisonment. The soldier had pleaded guilty the day before. He said in court that he acted under pressure from another soldier as he tried to flee to Russia in a stolen car with four other soldiers. This soldier, originally from Irkutsk, in Siberia, also had ” request forgiveness “ to the widow of Mr. Chelipov during a brief exchange with her in a kyiv courtroom.
“It is the most severe sentence and any sane person would appeal”said the young man’s lawyer, Viktor Ovsiannikov. “I will ask for the reversal of the verdict”did he declare.
Before the hearing, the Kremlin declared itself ” worried “ for the fate of the Russian citizen, adding that he could not assist him on the spot due to the absence of diplomatic representation. “That doesn’t mean we won’t try through other channels. The fate of every Russian citizen is of paramount importance to us.”said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.