Georgian volunteer sentenced to life in prison in eastern Ukraine
- 21 February, 19:22
A Georgian volunteer has been sentenced to life in prison in Ukraine’s Russian-held eastern Donetsk region. A court in Donetsk on Tuesday, found Georgian citizen Mamuka Gatserelia guilty of murdering three Russians soldiers in the frontline city of Mariupol in Donetsk.
Russia’s Prosecutor’s General accused him of opening fire at four Russian soldiers in a multi-storey building and killing three of them. On Tuesday, the Prosecutor’s General said Gatserelia was given life sentence on charges of attacking Russian soldiers and participating in an armed conflict as a mercenary.
Georgian citizen Gatserelia, 22, signed up as a volunteer in the Ukraine war in March 2022. Gatserelia admitted to killing the Russian soldiers in April 2022, in a video published by the Russian Investigative Committee.
Mamuka Gatserelia served in the Georgian army under contract. In 2022, he terminated his contract and went to Ukraine, where he soon joined the Foreign Legion.
Gatserelia’s mother, Dali Chkheidze has appealed for help over her son’s incarceration.
It should be noted that Georgia ranks first among foreign fighter volunteers in the war against Russia. Hundreds of Georgian citizens are believed to be fighting in Ukraine since Russia launched a full-fledged invasion of the country in February 2022.
