A German citizen who was born in Kyrgyzstan has received a suspended sentence for joining Russia-backed forces in eastern Ukraine.
A court in the western German city of Dortmund found 43-year-old Alex D. guilty of "jeopardizing state security" on July 10 over his participation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty said.
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The man admitted that he had spent two years among the pro-Russian rebels, but denied that he took part in military conflict, saying he was just guarding a hospital in "separatist-controlled" territory.
He also said at his trial that he had decided to return to Germany after becoming disillusioned with the "separatists."
The trial is the second case in which a participant in the conflict is being prosecuted in Germany.
In February, a court in Munich sentenced German citizen Sergej Kisseljow to 2 1/2 years in prison on charges of planning to take part in military activities alongside Russia-led forces in Ukraine.
Kisseljow is a nephew of Dmitry Kiselyov, a Russian state media boss known for fiery anti-Western diatribes.