Georgian citizen fighting for Ukraine sentenced to life imprisonment in Donetsk

The so-called court in Donetsk, a region of Ukraine annexed by Russia, has sentenced Nikolo Berianidze, a Georgian citizen, to life imprisonment. Berianidze was reportedly fighting for Ukraine as part of the Azov Regiment, a controversial unit of the Ukrainian military.

According to Russian investigators, Berianidze arrived in Kyiv prior to 2016 and joined the Azov Regiment, which has been a focal point of propaganda narratives pushed by Moscow since the war began. The court accused Berianidze of engaging in alleged “extremist and anti-Russian activities” during his time in Ukraine.