Donetsk Court sentences Georgian Legion leader to 23 years in absentia

The Supreme Court of the Russian-occupied Donetsk region has sentenced Mamuka Mamulashvili, leader of the Georgian Legion, to 23 years in prison. Mamulashvili, who has been fighting alongside Ukraine’s Armed Forces since 2014, was convicted in absentia by the court. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office stated that the 46-year-old was found guilty of multiple charges under the Russian Criminal Code.

According to the prosecution, Mamulashvili had been recruiting foreign mercenaries since April 2014, primarily targeting former members of the Georgian military. These recruits were allegedly trained, armed, and deployed in combat operations in Ukraine until May 2024.

In addition to Mamulashvili, three other Georgian fighters—Giorgi Rusitashvili, Nodar Petriashvili, and Vano Nadiradze—were also sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison each. The charges against them were related to their alleged participation in the conflict as mercenaries. All sentences mandate time in high-security penal colonies.

The Georgian Legion, a volunteer military unit supporting the Ukrainian army, consists mainly of experienced Georgian soldiers. In Russia, the Legion has been labeled a terrorist organization, with its members targeted by Russian legal and military actions.