In July 2023, Finnish authorities arrested sanctioned Russian national Yan Petrovsky at Helsinki airport en route to France for a family holiday under the assumed name ‘Voislav Torden.’ Torden has been described as ‘one of Russia’s most notorious far-right militants’ and is long suspected of being involved in the commission of multiple atrocities as a mercenary, including in Syria.
In October 2024, the Finnish National Prosecution Authority brought five separate charges of war crimes against Torden in Helsinki District Court, after a preliminary investigation by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation. Broadly speaking, the charges alleged that Torden was involved in the treacherous killing of 22 Ukrainian soldiers and the serious wounding of another four, as well as other serious violations of international humanitarian law relating to the treatment of wounded and killed enemy soldiers in the Donbas region of Ukraine in 2014. The charges corresponded to the underlying war crimes as stipulated by the Rome Statute, which Finland had earlier ratified, and set out the details of the multiple war crimes alleged:
The charges
- Making improper use of a flag […] resulting in death or serious personal injury. The charge relates to the military operation led by Torden on 5 September 2014, in his capacity as deputy leader of ‘Rusich’, whereby the unit under his command allegedly used a Ukrainian flag to ambush the Ukrainian ‘Aidar’ battalion. As a result, at least 22 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and several others were wounded. Adjoining civil claims were filed by victims in relation to this charge.
- Wilful killing. The charge relates to the killing of at least 4 Ukrainian soldiers who were rendered hors de combat in the aftermath of the ambush and was also accompanied by civil law claims from victims. The charge was proved in relation to the killing of one Ukrainian soldier.
- Causing great suffering and mutilation. The charge relates to the mutilation of a Ukrainian soldier in the aftermath of the deadly ambush on the ‘Aidar’ column.
- Outrages upon personal dignity. The charge relates to the taking and disseminating of derogatory photos of a fallen soldier at the scene of death.
- Denying quarter. The charge relates to announcements online and on social media that Rusich will not ‘show mercy’ and ‘take no prisoners.’
Universal jurisdiction
The Court invoked Chapter 11, Section 5(1) (212/2008) of the Finnish Criminal Code, which enables Finland to exercise universal jurisdiction over atrocity crimes, including war crimes, ‘regardless of where they were committed, and irrespective of the nationality of the victims or perpetrators…’. The first part of the war crimes definition implements the list of underlying acts enumerated in Geneva Conventions I, II, III, IV and Additional Protocols I and II to the Geneva Conventions and other violations of the rules and customs of war, whereas the second part refers to war crimes in the Rome Statute or other treaties ratified by Finland.