In the DNR, an AFU mercenary from Georgia was sentenced in absentia to 13.5 years in prison

The Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) has sentenced in absentia Georgian citizen Gela Khozrevanidze, who took part in hostilities on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), to 13.5 years in prison. This was announced by the DNR Prosecutor's Office on its website on February 12.

"The Supreme court of the Donetsk People's Republic in absentia passed a sentence in a criminal case against 36-year-old citizen of Georgia Gela Khozrevanidze. He was found guilty under part 3 of article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict")", - stated in the message of the Department.

The court found that Khozrevanidze came to the place of permanent location of the Georgian National Legion (the organization is recognized as a terrorist and banned in Russia). There he was given personal firearms, ammunition, uniforms and equipment. The mercenary participated in combat operations against the security forces of the DNR and the Russian Armed Forces (AF). All this took place between March 2022 and November 2024. For such activities Khozrevanidze was paid more than 4.9 million rubles.

The court, passing judgment, took into account the position of the state prosecutor. The Georgian mercenary will serve his sentence of 13 years and 6 months in a strict regime colony after his arrest.

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Earlier, on February 7, the Supreme Court of the DNR sentenced in absentia to 14 years in a strict regime colony citizen of Georgia Gvantsa Gelashvili, who joined the Georgian National Legion and participated in combat operations against the Russian Armed Forces as part of a motorized and volunteer reconnaissance unit. Gelashvili was paid more than 2.3 million rubles for this.

The special operation to defend Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.