The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisation (AFUO) joins calls from State, Federal and diplomatic leaders for the release of Oscar Jenkins, amid 13 year sentence by russian court 16 May.
Oscar Jenkins, former biology teacher from Melbourne, was captured in December by occupying russian forces while serving with Ukraine’s military in the Donbas region. For weeks his fate remained uncertain, as russian authorities took considerable time to confirm he was still alive after reports suggested he may have been killed in captivity.
According to the Kremlin, Jenkins has been categorised as a mercenary, meaning he is not afforded POW protections and is subject to criminal prosecution. On 16 May, Jenkins was ordered to serve 13 years in a maximum security penal colony. The Australian Government has responded, insisting that Oscar be treated in accordance with international laws protecting prisoners of war.
“The Australian Government is appalled at the sham trial and 13 year sentence given to Australian man Oscar Jenkins. As a full serving member of the regular Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war,” Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said in an official statement.
“They’re charging him as being a mercenary, which he is not because he has an official contract with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, so he must be treated as a prisoner of war, but russia does not really care about international law,” Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko reported to 9News.
“It is a continuation of the way that they have behaved… This conflict began with them [russia] choosing to invade a sovereign nation and to abrogate their responsibility to uphold international law,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Prime Minister Albanese is expected to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome to discuss next steps in securing Oscar’s rights in captivity and his prompt release.
