• Fifteen Ukrainian soldiers sentenced to 15-21 years by a Russian military court.
• The trial has been criticized as a violation of international law by Ukraine and human rights organizations.
• The Aidar Battalion members were captured in 2022 and are considered political prisoners by some rights groups.
• This marks the second mass trial of Ukrainian POWs, following a similar case involving the Azov brigade.

A Russian military court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced 15 soldiers of the Aidar Battalion to prison terms ranging from 15 to 21 years on terrorism charges. This verdict comes after a trial that Ukraine has denounced as a sham, asserting it violates international law, according to Reuters, Africanews, and LA Times.

The Aidar Battalion members were accused of belonging to a terrorist organization, with the trial focusing on alleged activities dating back to 2014. Ukraine's human rights envoy, Dmytro Lubinets, has described the proceedings as shameful, claiming Russia is trying to criminalize those who defended their homeland, according to LA Times and Africanews.

Rights group Memorial has called the sentencing a violation of the Geneva Conventions, condemning the trial as it prosecutes prisoners of war based solely on their involvement with the Aidar Battalion rather than specific war crimes. Memorial emphasized that this violates international conventions that protect POWs, according to Reuters and LA Times.

This trial follows a previous one in March that resulted in the conviction of 23 members of the Azov Brigade, marking the second mass legal action against Ukrainian soldiers in recent months. Both Aidar and Azov units, formed after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, have been subjected to scrutiny for their historical ties to far-right elements, although current members reject such associations, according to Africanews and LA Times.