The Czech Republic's prosecutor's office has accused a Karlovy Vary-based male resident of partaking in terrorist activity in eastern Ukraine's Donbas.
He is now facing up to 16 years in prison, Ukraine's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Yevhen Perebyinis, wrote on Facebook.
Czech courts continue prosecuting the country's citizens who took part in hostilities on Russia's side in the occupied Donbas.
"Among the latest suspects is Lukash N., 26, of Karlovy Vary, who in 2015-2016 fought against the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of illegal military groups," the ambassador wrote.
As noted in charge papers, the man "had been trained, armed, and equipped by military formations of separatist structures, performed multiple military tasks, such as reconnaissance, guarding, and patrolling, and also took part in battles against the Ukrainian military with the intention of wounding or killing them."
Read alsoRussian diplomat arrested in Prague over illegal sniper ammunition dealThe suspect had been acting deliberately, prosecutors said, adding that he was wounded in action and spent several weeks in hospital.
The prosecutor emphasizes that the armed groups operating in the east of Ukraine can be referred to as quasi-militarized units committing systematic organized violent crimes, which by their nature correspond to the definition of "terrorist attack."
During the investigation, the suspect refused to testify, while the evidence available to the investigation, including photographs and videos he had made on his mobile phone are sufficient grounds for bringing the case to court.
“In one of these videos, in the spirit of the overwhelming majority of Russian propaganda victims, he admits he has come to fight against 'Ukrainian fascists'. Russian brainwashing had a negative impact on this citizen's psyche. According to the testimony of his girlfriend, upon returning home, Lukash N. changed significantly – he became aggressive, suffered from nightmares, held a knife under his pillow overnight, and uttered sounds resembling those from horror films, which made him turn to psychiatrists," the envoy wrote.