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Photo: ukrinform.ru
Major General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Nazarov
The statement was signed by 16 US officials, including four former US ambassadors to Ukraine.
Former US ambassadors to Ukraine and Russia, US military and experts asked the Kiev official to reconsider the decision to punish General Viktor Nazarov in the case of the Il-76 shot down in 2014 in Donbas. The corresponding statement, signed by 16 people, was published on Monday, January 11, on the Atlantic Council website.
Therefore, the document is addressed to the head of state, the Verkhovna Rada, the Supreme Court and the National Security and Defense Council.
He claims that neither the United States nor other Western countries would allow their commanders to be treated like Nazarov. The general’s prosecution, in his view, undermines the morale of the Ukrainian army during the conflict in Donbas.
“We fear that the continued practice of involving civilian prosecutors and judges, who do not have the experience and knowledge to assess the demands of decision-making on the battlefield, undermines Ukraine’s security,” the statement said.
The appeal also says that military leaders should not be punished for “making difficult decisions under conditions of high uncertainty and difficult circumstances” as this “may affect the way other countries evaluate Ukraine’s armed forces.”
Finally, the Ukrainian authorities were asked to ensure a thorough examination of the Nazarov case, taking into account the deep concerns of Ukraine’s senior and experienced military commanders and taking into account Ukraine’s application for membership in NATO, revised in the light of Western practice.
“Ensure that military personnel are tried in a military court, before a military judge and a jury of military officers with experience in matters related to decisions made in battle or during war. Keep General Nazarov in custody and suspend any other action against him until such a high-level control is completed with a review of his treatment and civil verdict in relation to these conclusions, “the officials summarized.
The statement was signed, in particular, by Stephen Blank, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and former US ambassadors to Ukraine John Herbst, Stephen Pifer, Roman Popadyuk and William Taylor.
Alexander Vershbow, former NATO undersecretary general, former US ambassador to Russia, also joined the call.
Recall that on June 14, 2014, the separatists shot down an Il-76MD over the Luhansk region. On board were 40 soldiers from the 25th Separate Parachute Brigade and nine crew members. All died.
Soon, Major General Viktor Nazarov, who at the time of the tragedy was the chief of staff for the counterterrorism operation, was accused of neglecting his service in a combat situation, which had serious consequences.
Nazarov was sentenced on March 27, 2017, to seven years in prison. However, the court did not deprive him of his military rank. The general appealed the verdict, but the appeals court upheld the verdict.
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