Law students and young lawyers in Ukraine are filing for JURIST on developments and issues arising as the country defends itself against Russian invasion. This report is from JURIST Ukraine Chief Correspondent Anna Tymoshenko, a law student at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Today, an officer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was sentenced to 14 years in prison for treason and desertion after serving in the Ukrainian army since 2010 but joining Russia in 2014.
In 2022, while serving in the Russian army, he attacked Ukraine and was captured. Mykhailo Kazarenko (the accused, at center in the photo above) acknowledged his guilt. The charges were proven by the regional Special Military and Defense Prosecutor’s Office, and Kazarenko was found guilty of treason and desertion by the district court of Kyiv. His trial was conducted remotely. He now gets to be imprisoned for 14 years and ordered to forfeit all of his property.

Unfortunately, such cases of betrayal are not uncommon. This is the third military traitor to be apprehended and sentenced to imprisonment, and there are dozens more to come. And witnessing Ukrainians prosecute Ukrainians for war crimes is far more painful than the crimes committed by other Russian perpetrators. Our power is in unity, and those who betray and take the evil side will end up just like that – facing justice.