Russia Jails Ukrainian Artem Murdid for Life, Sentencing 2 Relatives to 22 and 20 Years
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 16
Russia Jails Ukrainian Artem Murdid for Life, Sentencing 2 Relatives to 22 and 20 Years
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 16
Summary
Artem Murdid, a 32-year-old Ukrainian bank worker from Melitopol, received a life sentence in Russia after authorities accused him of joining a terrorist cell and planting bombs on orders from Ukrainian intelligence.
Murdid says he signed a confession only after pro-Russian guards beat him, used electric shocks and threatened his mother and girlfriend; Russian authorities did not respond to requests for comment on the abuse claims.
Hanna Murdid, 52, and Hanna Voshkoder, 29, also signed confessions and were sentenced to 22 and 20 years, respectively, in the same case.
The punishments are described by human rights experts and Ukrainian officials as an extreme example of Russia's treatment of Ukrainian civilians in custody, a system they say holds thousands.