Australian authorities ‘appalled’ at Russia’s ‘sham trial’ of Oliver Jenkins who was captured in Ukraine | Ukraine

An Australian man captured by Russian forces whereas preventing for Ukraine has been jailed for 13 years on the cost of being a “mercenary”, a transfer that has “appalled” the Australian authorities.

The international affairs minister, Penny Wong, stated on Saturday that Russia was obliged to deal with Oscar Jenkins humanely as he was “a full serving member of the common armed forces of Ukraine” and subsequently “a prisoner of battle”.

Wong accused Russia of conducting a “sham trial” of Jenkins, a 33-year-old man from Melbourne.

Jenkins was convicted of being a “mercenary in an armed battle” and sentenced on Friday to 13 years “in a strict regime penal colony” by a Russian-controlled court docket in Ukraine’s east Luhansk area.

“The Australian authorities is appalled on the sham trial and 13-year sentence given to Australian man Oscar Jenkins,” Wong stated in an announcement.

“The Australian authorities has made clear to Russia that Mr Jenkins should be given the protections afforded to him as a prisoner of battle. Russia is obligated to deal with him in accordance with worldwide humanitarian regulation, together with humane remedy.

“We proceed to carry severe issues for Mr Jenkins.”

Wong stated the federal government was working with Ukraine and different companions together with the Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross to advocate for his welfare and launch, and offering consular assist to Jenkins’ household.

Russia and its jap Ukrainian proxies think about foreigners travelling to combat in Ukraine as mercenaries.

This allows them to prosecute them underneath its legal code, somewhat than treating them as captured prisoners of battle with protections and rights underneath the Geneva conventions.

The Australian authorities has repeatedly referred to as on Russia to launch Jenkins, a former biology trainer.

Russia-installed prosecutors stated Jenkins “took half in fight operations in opposition to Russian army personnel between March and December 2024”.

They posted a video displaying Jenkins standing in a courtroom behind a glass cage, his fingers behind his again and his expression despondent.

Russian forces captured Jenkins in December 2024.

In that very same month, he appeared in a video shared by a Russian army blogger displaying him being roughly interrogated and overwhelmed.

Within the video, Jenkins had his fingers certain with what seems to be tape or plastic. He’s sporting army fatigues and has filth on his face. Answering in English and damaged Ukrainian, he says he’s 32 years outdated and lives in Australia and Ukraine.

“I’m Australian,” Jenkins says in English. “Oscar Jenkins. 32 years outdated … I research biology.”

A person behind the digital camera seems to strike Jenkins twice within the head with a stick as he’s questioned in Russian.

He was then believed to have been killed in captivity, till Russia confirmed he was alive in January.

A later video confirmed him present process a medical examination, along with his captors heard joking within the background that his blood stress confirmed “he wasn’t lifeless”.