Finland charges Russian neo-Nazi Petrovsky with war crimes in Ukraine

Yle reported the information.

Deputy Prosecutor General Jukka Rappe has charged Yan Petrovsky (also known as Voislav Torden) with five war crimes allegedly committed in the fall of 2014.

The charges relate to the suspect's involvement with the Rusich unit, which has been fighting in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

The suspect is accused of participating in actions that violate the rules of warfare. He and members of his unit are charged with killing a total of 22 Ukrainian soldiers and severely wounding four others.

Additionally, Petrovsky is accused of actions that violate the laws of war, specifically concerning methods of warfare and the treatment of wounded and deceased enemy soldiers.

The report notes that this is the first time in Finnish history that charges have been filed for war crimes committed in Ukraine.

What is known about Yan Petrovsky, aka Voislav Torden

Yan Petrovsky was born in Irkutsk, Russia, and has lived in Norway since 2004. He became known in Norway for his far-right connections. According to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), Petrovsky participated in the Syrian war as part of a far-right group that fought on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

In 2016, Norway deported Petrovsky to Russia, deeming him a security threat. In 2017, he gave an interview to the Russian news site Meduza, describing himself as a "Russian nationalist and patriot."

Petrovsky was charged in Ukraine under Article 258-3, Part 1, of the Criminal Code (Creating a Terrorist Group or Organization). Ukrainian investigators allege that he fought in Ukraine from 2014 to 2015 and put him on a wanted list in 2016.

Petrovsky was detained in Finland on July 20, 2023, at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport while preparing to fly to Nice, France. He presented a Russian passport and a Finnish-issued residence permit under the name Voislav Torden. On August 25, a court ordered that he remain in custody.

Ukraine requested Petrovsky-Torden's extradition, but on December 8, Finland’s Supreme Court denied Kyiv’s request, citing a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. The Finnish court stated that Petrovsky might face degrading treatment in Ukraine.

Following the Supreme Court's decision, Petrovsky was released, but Finnish border authorities immediately took him into custody. Initially, it was suggested he might be deported, but he was later reported to remain in custody.

On December 15, it was revealed that, after denying Ukraine's extradition request, the Finnish Prosecutor’s Office decided to launch a preliminary investigation into his alleged involvement in war crimes in Ukraine.

In December 2023, the Helsinki District Court ordered the arrest of Russian national Yan Petrovsky on suspicion of committing war crimes.