Finland seeks jailing, probe of Russian man wished in Ukraine over alleged struggle crimes in 2014-2015

HELSINKI — Finnish police on Sunday sought a court docket order to imprison a Russian man who had been residing below an alias within the Nordic nation and is accused of committing struggle crimes towards wounded or surrendered troopers in jap Ukraine in 2014 and 2015.

Yan Petrovsky, who had been residing in Finland below the identify Voislav Torden, is already in Finnish custody however authorities are asking that he be formally jailed whereas they conduct an investigation into his alleged crimes towards Ukrainian troopers. A court docket ruling on his imprisonment is anticipated on Monday.

Finland‘s Supreme Court has ruled that Petrovsky cannot be extradited to Ukraine, where he faces an arrest warrant, due to the risk of inhumane prison conditions there. Sunday’s resolution signifies Finnish authorities plan to analyze and probably strive the Russian in Finland, which has signed treaties permitting it to strive worldwide crimes.

Petrovsky is at present on the European Union’s sanctions record towards Russia for allegedly being a founding member of the far-right group Rusich that’s suspected of terrorism crimes in Ukraine and is linked with Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group, the Finnish information company STT reported.

Petrovsky, who earlier resided in Norway, was taken into custody by Finnish authorities after he was caught at Helsinki Airport in July shortly earlier than he was fly to Nice, France collectively along with his household.

Media studies stated he managed to enter Finland regardless of an EU-wide entry ban with the assistance of a brand new identification and his spouse’s pupil standing within the Nordic nation.

The National Bureau of Investigation – a unit of the Finnish police – offered the imprisonment request for Petrovsky, aged 36, to the Helsinki District Court on Sunday, STT stated.

Citing his Finnish lawyer, STT stated Petrovsky has denied all struggle crimes expenses towards him.

Finland’s National Prosecution Authority on Friday stated Petrovsky is suspected of struggle crimes “committed against wounded or surrendered Ukrainian soldiers during the armed conflict in Ukraine” in 2014-2015 earlier than the beginning of Moscow’s ongoing assault on Ukraine in February 2022.

“The crimes will be investigated by Finnish authorities, because the suspect cannot be extradited to Ukraine, and the case, as an international crime, falls under the jurisdiction of Finland,” the Finnish prosecutors stated in a press release.