Russian Soldier Indicted for Cruel Treatment
If convicted, 26-year-old faces up to 12 years in prison for violating the laws and customs of war.
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A Russian soldier has been indicted for the cruel treatment of civilians in the Kharkhiv region, including attempting to buy a child from her parents.
The Ordzhonikidze district court is hearing the case of Ainur Shafikov, a 26-year-old Russian soldier originally from the Republic of Bashkortostan. He is accused of illegal searches of civilian homes in the Kupiansk district and cruel treatment of local residents during the Russian occupation.
According to the investigation, on April 25, 2022, Russian soldiers stopped a local family with a young child at a checkpoint in the occupied village of Pervomaiske. They offered to buy the daughter for 200,000 Russian roubles, claiming she was “too beautiful”. The father refused and argued with the soldiers. After a verbal exchange, the family was allowed to leave. However, investigators said that Shafikov expressed surprise that the father had refused to sell his daughter for such a sum.
Later, Shafikov and four other Russian soldiers, who have not been identified by the investigation, went to the family’s home where they beat the man, accusing him of “disobedience”. Shafikov and the others then took the man away, pretending to take him for execution. His wife was ordered to stay home and threatened with death if she disobeyed.
After taking the victim to a local cultural centre, they beat him again, fired a shot into the air and then released him. A forensic psychiatric evaluation concluded that the victim developed post-traumatic stress disorder due to this abuse.
Furthermore, investigators say that on August 27, 2022, Shafikov broke into the house of a local businessman in the village of Zorianske, Kupyansk district. He was searching for the service weapon of the businessman’s daughter-in-law, who worked as a police officer. Local residents had reportedly informed the Russian soldier about the weapon.
According to the indictment, “Shafikov, failing to find what he was looking for during a search, used force to try and learn the location of service weapons and to psychologically break the victim.
“He struck the victim with the butt of a weapon on the right leg and head, inflicting bodily injuries and causing physical and emotional suffering.”
After finding no weapons, Shafikov damaged furniture, beat the victim and left the premises. A forensic psychiatric evaluation concluded that the victim developed a neurotic disorder due to the emotional and physical abuse suffered.
Trial Proceedings
In December 2024, the court scheduled the case to be heard in absentia under a special procedure. During the investigation, summonses for Shafikov and notices of suspicion were published in Ukrainian media and on the official website of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Investigators issued an order on October 30, 2023, declaring Shafikov wanted both nationally and internationally. According to investigators, he in Russia.
On March 12, the scheduled hearing took place, but the victims, witnesses and the defendant were absent. Prosecutor Ivan Suk explained the reasons for the victims’ absence. He stated that one victim had relocated to another city with his wife, who is a witness in the criminal case, due to security concerns. The prosecutor added that they would be prepared to testify via video conference at the next hearing.
Another victim had been scheduled to attend the hearing from Shevchenkove in the Kupyansk district, but called the prosecutor to report that his bus to court had not arrived. Consequently, the victim requested that future hearings be scheduled for the morning, as afternoon buses from Kharkiv to Shevchenkove were unavailable.
The prosecutor did not object to proceeding with the trial in the absence of the victims. However, Serhiy Yarmak, the defence attorney who joined the session via video conference, argued that the case could not be heard without the victims present. Despite this objection, the court ruled to start the hearing.
The judge proposed reading the indictment and setting the order for examining evidence. The prosecutor presented an abridged version, explaining the full indictment was 13 pages long. Court participants did not object.
“Given that this trial is proceeding under a special regime due to the absence of the defendant Shafikov, who was properly notified of the hearing’s time and place, I believe we can proceed with these criminal proceedings as follows: question two victims and four witnesses, review written case materials and address other procedural matters,” prosecutor Suk then proposed.
The defence lawyer agreed, and the court approved the order of evidence examination.
Due to the absence of victims and witnesses, the judge adjourned the hearing in the case of Ainur Shafikov until April 22.
If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison for violating the laws and customs of war, committed as part of a group conspiracy.
