Ukrainian Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Occupied Luhansk on Sham Charges

A Ukrainian woman from the Russian-occupied Luhansk region has been sentenced to 10 years in a penal colony on charges of financing terrorism and extremist activities.

According to Human Rights in Ukraine, the ruling was based on allegations that she made financial contributions to Ukraine’s Azov Brigade and currently inactive organization.

The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was reportedly detained in June 2024 in her home in Starobilsk district. Russian-installed authorities claim that between January and April 2024, she made at least ten money transfers to accounts linked to Azov and Right Sector. These charges are grounded in previous Russian court rulings that designated the Azov Brigade as a terrorist organization in August 2022 and Right Sector as extremist.

The case follows a pattern of prosecutions in Russian-occupied territories, where individuals accused of supporting Ukrainian military units have faced severe sentences. Russian authorities have previously used terrorism-related charges against those suspected of donating to Azov, while Right Sector, which had a volunteer battalion in the early years of the war, has been largely inactive as an organization.

There are concerns that the woman was denied access to an independent lawyer and was pressured into confessing. Rights groups have noted that individuals detained by Russian security services often face prolonged incommunicado detention, increasing the risk of coercion.

Another Ukrainian, 19-year-old Valeriy Koziuberda, is also in custody on similar charges. He was detained for allegedly making a single donation to the Azov Brigade in 2022 when he was 17.