The Russian fighter with the call sign "Bes" was sentenced to 12 years in absentia. He is involved in torturing Ukrainians in Crimea and took an active part in the occupation of the peninsula. Later he became one of the leaders of the unrecognized "L/DPR".
This was reported by the Prosecutorʼs Office of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Although the prosecutorʼs office does not name the convicted person, it is clear from the release that it is about the militant Ihor Bezler. In March 2014, in Simferopol, under his leadership, activists, members of "Avtomaidan" were kidnapped and imprisoned in the Military Commissariat.
The victims were kept in unsuitable rooms with blindfolds, without proper food and contact with loved ones. The convict personally threatened some of them and used violence against them. The activists were detained because of the Ukrainian position and opposition to the Russian occupation of Crimea.
He was found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war, as well as of encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Who is Ihor Bezler?
Ihor Bezler ("Bes") is one of the leaders of the unrecognized "DPR". Bezler is wanted in Ukraine. He is suspected of the intentional murder of a number of Ukrainian activists.
According to SBU, in 2014, Bezler took part in force actions to capture military units and authorities in Crimea. In April 2014, Bezler, on behalf of Russian military intelligence, participated in the seizure of SBU administration building in the Donetsk region, and later in the seizure of the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Horlivka (Donetsk region), as part of a sabotage group.
In June 2019, the investigative journalism team Bellingcat published the names of 12 militants who may have been involved in the downing of flight MH17. Bezler was named among them.