In Russia, former Azov member Yaroslav Zhdamarov is on trial. He was detained in Mariupol as a civilian.
Source: SVOI CITY
Author: Kateryna KALYUZHNA
The Russians detained Yaroslav in April 2022 as a civilian while he and his wife, Viktoria, were trying to evacuate from Mariupol. Viktoria went through the screening process, but Yaroslav wasn’t even allowed to participate. They took his documents and told him to wait until they came for him. On the night of April 23–24, Russian military personnel took Yaroslav and drove him to an unknown destination.
Getting Any Clue
at All Victoria spent another day in the filtration camp, hoping that Yaroslav would return any moment. But he didn’t come back. Victoria asked everyone where he had been taken.
“But they told me there was no point in waiting. With a heavy heart, I decided to leave.”
From that moment on, Viktoria began her fight to find her husband. Last summer, thanks to volunteers and released prisoners, she managed to piece together the events of May.
“At first, Yaroslav was in a penal colony in Olenivka. Later, he was transferred to a pretrial detention center. On May 18, he called me from the investigator’s phone and told me he was in Donetsk. That’s where our conversation ended, and it was the last time I heard his voice.”
Victoria continued to search for any information about Yaroslav on her own and with the help of human rights activists. She says she periodically received information from various sources that her husband was still in Donetsk.
“I had no personal contact with him at all. For several months, I tried to get permission to at least correspond with him, but unfortunately, I was never able to do so.”
Later, Victoria learned that Yaroslav’s case had been transferred to the Rostov Military Court.
So she began waiting for any news from there.
“I had to contact the ‘DPR’ prosecutor’s office and Ministry of Justice, because only they could provide answers regarding the prisoner’s whereabouts.”
In Ukraine, Yaroslav is considered a civilian hostage because he was not a member of the military at the time of his detention. Yaroslav had been discharged from service back in 2019.
The Fight for Two
On June 15, the trial of the Ukrainian prisoners of war began in Rostov. That same day, Victoria recalls, she saw her Yaroslav in photos and videos for the first time in a year.
“Of course, I understood what he might look like. I’d been trying to picture him the whole time, but seeing him in a photo like that was still very painful for me. For over a year, I’d been searching for him in all the photos and videos of the captives, afraid that I might miss him somewhere or fail to recognize him. But no, of course I didn’t miss him—it’s impossible not to recognize your own husband’s eyes.”
Victoria shares that she stared at her husband’s face through her tears for a very long time, unable to believe that she was finally seeing him.
“First of all, I was really shocked by how much weight he’d lost. Yaroslav had always been a strong, healthy man in good physical shape. I think it goes without saying how he looked in those photos. All my friends were sending me photos and asking if it was really him.
"
Second, Victoria says, she was very shocked that Yaroslav was wearing the same winter clothes he had on when he was taken from the filtration camp over a year ago.
“Right now, I don’t know much about how this will all end or what my husband’s mental and physical state is. However, there’s already an opportunity to send him letters and personal items. The second hearing will take place soon; perhaps after that, there will be a little more information.”
Faith and thoughts of Yaroslav help Victoria stay strong and keep fighting.
“I understand that I have to fight now for both of us. So that in the near future I can see him not in a photo but right beside me, and finally hold him in my arms, I need to gather my strength and help speed up his release
The Russians are trying to portray Yaroslav as a defender of Mariupol, even though he was captured illegally as a civilian.
"He was detained simply because he once served in the Azov Regiment." And now they’re accusing him of participating in a terrorist organization. This, too, is a violation of international law. Therefore, now is the time to draw the international community’s full attention to the issue of civilian hostages and Russia’s systematic violations of international law, and to actively call on them to help the families. We must bring our citizens home.”
Author: Kateryna KALYUZHNA
The Russians detained Yaroslav in April 2022 as a civilian while he and his wife, Viktoria, were trying to evacuate from Mariupol. Viktoria went through the screening process, but Yaroslav wasn’t even allowed to participate. They took his documents and told him to wait until they came for him. On the night of April 23–24, Russian military personnel took Yaroslav and drove him to an unknown destination.
Getting Any Clue
at All Victoria spent another day in the filtration camp, hoping that Yaroslav would return any moment. But he didn’t come back. Victoria asked everyone where he had been taken.
“But they told me there was no point in waiting. With a heavy heart, I decided to leave.”
From that moment on, Viktoria began her fight to find her husband. Last summer, thanks to volunteers and released prisoners, she managed to piece together the events of May.
“At first, Yaroslav was in a penal colony in Olenivka. Later, he was transferred to a pretrial detention center. On May 18, he called me from the investigator’s phone and told me he was in Donetsk. That’s where our conversation ended, and it was the last time I heard his voice.”
Victoria continued to search for any information about Yaroslav on her own and with the help of human rights activists. She says she periodically received information from various sources that her husband was still in Donetsk.
“I had no personal contact with him at all. For several months, I tried to get permission to at least correspond with him, but unfortunately, I was never able to do so.”
Later, Victoria learned that Yaroslav’s case had been transferred to the Rostov Military Court.
So she began waiting for any news from there.
“I had to contact the ‘DPR’ prosecutor’s office and Ministry of Justice, because only they could provide answers regarding the prisoner’s whereabouts.”
In Ukraine, Yaroslav is considered a civilian hostage because he was not a member of the military at the time of his detention. Yaroslav had been discharged from service back in 2019.
The Fight for Two
On June 15, the trial of the Ukrainian prisoners of war began in Rostov. That same day, Victoria recalls, she saw her Yaroslav in photos and videos for the first time in a year.
“Of course, I understood what he might look like. I’d been trying to picture him the whole time, but seeing him in a photo like that was still very painful for me. For over a year, I’d been searching for him in all the photos and videos of the captives, afraid that I might miss him somewhere or fail to recognize him. But no, of course I didn’t miss him—it’s impossible not to recognize your own husband’s eyes.”
Victoria shares that she stared at her husband’s face through her tears for a very long time, unable to believe that she was finally seeing him.
“First of all, I was really shocked by how much weight he’d lost. Yaroslav had always been a strong, healthy man in good physical shape. I think it goes without saying how he looked in those photos. All my friends were sending me photos and asking if it was really him.
"
Second, Victoria says, she was very shocked that Yaroslav was wearing the same winter clothes he had on when he was taken from the filtration camp over a year ago.
“Right now, I don’t know much about how this will all end or what my husband’s mental and physical state is. However, there’s already an opportunity to send him letters and personal items. The second hearing will take place soon; perhaps after that, there will be a little more information.”
Faith and thoughts of Yaroslav help Victoria stay strong and keep fighting.
“I understand that I have to fight now for both of us. So that in the near future I can see him not in a photo but right beside me, and finally hold him in my arms, I need to gather my strength and help speed up his release
The Russians are trying to portray Yaroslav as a defender of Mariupol, even though he was captured illegally as a civilian.
"He was detained simply because he once served in the Azov Regiment." And now they’re accusing him of participating in a terrorist organization. This, too, is a violation of international law. Therefore, now is the time to draw the international community’s full attention to the issue of civilian hostages and Russia’s systematic violations of international law, and to actively call on them to help the families. We must bring our citizens home.”
This is an automatic translation generated by DeepL.
