The Prosecutor's Office of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has charged Giorgi Baramidze, one of the leaders of the United National Movement, in absentia, with fighting on the side of Ukraine. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office released information about this.
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According to the charging conclusion, Baramidze is accused of a crime under Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which concerns the participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict.
“Investigators claim that in February 2022, Baramidze arrived in Ukraine as a mercenary and joined the Georgian National Legion. He received military training to develop skills in using combat weapons and to learn strategy, tactics, and combat techniques needed for participation in an armed conflict. Later, he participated in combat operations against military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation until April 2022. The mercenary's reward reportedly exceeded 238,000 rubles”, it is said in a statement of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office.
According to the agency, Baramidze has been added to an international wanted list, and the court has sentenced him to pretrial detention in absentia.
The criminal case has been referred to the so-called Donetsk People's Republic Supreme Court for a full review. The offence charged against Giorgi Baramidze carries a penalty of 7 to 15 years' imprisonment.
