Russian-appointed director of Askaniia-Nova biosphere reserve charged with transferring rare animals to Russia
www.pravda.com.ua
Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:59:56 +0200
The socalled director of the occupied AskaniiaNova Ukrainian nature reserve has been charged with violating the laws and customs of war.
Law enforcement officials allege that he transferred rare animals worth over UAH 22 million US536,585 to Russia.
This marks the first case of suspicion of committing a war crime against a nature reserve.
Source the Prosecutor Generals Office Kherson Oblast Prosecutors Office The AskaniiaNova biosphere reserve, Europes largest steppe reserve, is part of UNESCOs international network of biosphere reserves and is also protected from plunder under the Hague Convention.
Law enforcement officers say that the territory of the reserve has been under temporary Russian occupation since 24 February 2022.
In March 2023, the occupying authorities of Kherson Oblast established de facto control over AskaniiaNova.
The Prosecutor Generals Office notes that at that time, Russia registered the reserve as a legal entity and appointed a socalled director. During the pretrial investigation, it was established that the new leader of AskaniiaNova conspired with representatives of the Rostov reserve and the Living Nature of the Steppe association both in Russia ed.. Subsequently, the socalled director transferred rare and endangered species from the Ukrainian reserve to Russian territory.
Read also Russians plan to abduct another group of animals from occupied Ukrainian reserve AskaniiaNova In particular, two individuals of the following species each were stolen Chapmans zebras American bison Davids deer Przewalskis horse, a species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine Law enforcement estimates show that the director of the reserve caused damage exceeding UAH 22 million US536,585.
The man has been served with a notice of suspicion for violating the laws and customs of war, committed in conspiracy with a group of individuals under Article 28.2, Article 438.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Read also Russia creates illusion of tourism in occupied AskaniiaNova reserve by conducting staged tours Quote The illegal transfer of animals by the socalled director of the reserve constitutes a war crime of plundering and a violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians, as well as Articles 28 and 56 of the Fourth Hague Convention on the laws and customs of war on land, the Prosecutor Generals Office added.
The socalled director faces up to 12 years in prison for plundering the reserve.
Law enforcement is also identifying other participants in the crime.
Read also They kill animals and brag about it animal rights activists post new photoevidence of Russias ecocide in Ukraine Background Earlier, Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, stated that Russia has been destroying the AskaniiaNova biosphere reserve, with animals being moved to Crimea and the territory of the aggressor country.
At the same time, the reserves director, Viktor Shapoval, noted that it is too early to speak of the complete destruction of AskaniiaNova.
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