The US on Wednesday filed war crimes charges against four members of the Russian military who are accused of abducting and torturing an American citizen living in Ukraine at the time of Moscow's invasion.
The four Russians are accused of kidnapping the American, who was living in the Ukrainian village of Mylove. He was tortured, interrogated, threatened with sexual assault and execution, participated in forced labour and faced mock executions while he was detained at a Russian compound for 10 days, the Justice Department said.
The victim was a civilian non-combatant at the time of his abduction.
"Again and again he believed he was going to die," Attorney General Merrick Garland said during a news conference.
The charges are the first time the Justice Department has charged anyone under the US war crimes statutes.
Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan, Dmitry Budnik, Valerii and Nazar (last names unknown) face charges including torture, inhuman treatment and unlawful confinement of a US citizen in Ukraine.
Two of the Russians charged in the indictment were commanding officers, while the other two were lower-ranking military personnel.
None of the four Russians reside in the US and it is unclear if they will ever face a judge as Washington and Moscow do not share an extradition treaty.
However, Mr Garland said the charges are an "important step towards accountability".
"We will not forget the atrocities in Ukraine. And we will never stop working to bring those responsible to justice," Mr Garland said.
Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said during the briefing that the evidence uncovered during the US investigation "speaks to the brutality, criminality, and depravity of Russia’s invasion".
Wednesday's charges come as President Joe Biden's administration attempts to continue to show support for Kyiv despite struggling to elicit support from Congress to deliver more military assistance to Ukraine.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
