Chechen court finds Ukrainians Karpyuk, Klykh guilty

The Supreme Court of Chechnya in Grozny has found Ukrainians Mykola Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh guilty of crimes committed during the Chechen war.

Radio Svoboda’s correspondent Anton Naumlyuk posted this on Facebook from the courtroom.

“The jury has found the Ukrainians guilty of taking part in combat operations against [Russian] federal forces during the Chechen war in the winter of 1994-1995 as part of a unit dubbed Viking, killing and inflicting injuries to several dozen Russian soldiers,” he wrote.

As reported, according to investigators, Stanislav Klykh and Mykola Karpyuk were members of the UNA-UNSO organization, which was recognized as extremist and its activity was prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation, and fought in the armed forces of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the Russian federal troops at the end of 1994 – beginning of 1995.

October 12 last year, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Chechnya in Grozny started consideration of their case on the merits.

The “Memorial” Russian human rights center recognized Karpyuk and Klykh as the political prisoners.