WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – In an historic move, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the Justice Department is charging four Russian soldiers with war crimes.
“The charges include conspiracy to commit war crimes, unlawful confinement, torture and inhuman treatment,” Garland said.
Garland went on to say that it’s the first time the U.S. has used the war crimes statute.
According to the indictment, the Russian soldiers kidnapped, beat and tortured an American living in Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
He announced, “We allege that as they interrogated him, they tortured him, they beat him again with a gun, they punched him in his chest and stomach, they threatened to shoot him.”
Garland said the American victim wasn’t participating in the war and was a protected person.
“When an American citizen’s human rights are violated, their government will spare no effort and spare no resources to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.
Mayorkas stated the investigation was a multi-agency effort that reveals the brutality of Russia’s invasion.
“The United States will hold the Russian perpetrators of this unthinkable mistreatment, this unacceptable human rights violation, accountable,” said Mayorkas.
None of the Russians accused are in custody, but FBI Director Christopher Wray says their message to Russia is clear “that no one is above the law and that war crimes will not go unpunished.”
