On August 2, 2022, the Supreme Court of Russia recognized the Ukrainian Azov Regiment as a “terrorist” organization and banned its activities on the territory of the Russian Federation. Azov became number 41 on the FSB’s list of terrorist organizations, along with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

As of May 16, 2022, more than 2,500 fighter jets from the Azovstal plant are in Russian captivity, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky cited this data. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced about 2,439 Azov fighters who had surrendered. Before that, they maintained the defense of Mariupol for 86 days, being in the territory of the Azovstal plant. More than 50 Azov prisoners died on July 29 at the Yelenovka colony in the Donetsk region, which is not controlled by Ukraine. Kyiv and Moscow blame each other for what happened. What threatens the regiment’s captive soldiers and their supporters in Russia?

The journalist and the head of the Moscow PMC spoke in court

The Supreme Court of Russia in three hours considered the claim of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation on the recognition of the Azov regiment as a terrorist organization. Prior to that, the meeting was postponed twice for a month. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation decided to satisfy the prosecutors’ suit and place Azov on the list of terrorist organizations.

From day one, court sessions were held behind closed doors. However, on August 1, pro-Kremlin media published the testimony of two witnesses in court. For example, Georgy Volkov, head of the Moscow Public Monitoring Commission, told the court, allegedly referring to the testimony of one of the captured fighters from the Azov regiment, who practiced cannibalism.

In addition, the court heard journalist Marina Akhmedova. “I have collected several testimonies of torture, executions of civilians by Azov militants, torture that cannot be explained by the fact that we are enemies,” she told the court session.

What threatens the “Azovites” and their supporters

The consequences of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation will affect both the fate of captured Azov fighters and their supporters. In the Russian Federation, article 205.5 of the Criminal Code determines the punishment for organizers and participants in the activities of a terrorist organization. According to this article, the founders and leaders of the organization can face life imprisonment and a fine of up to one million rubles. Ordinary participants can receive from ten to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles.

As for the supporters of the Azov Regiment, in the Russian Federation, statements in defense of the Azov people can now be equated with justifying terrorism. Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for punishment for this crime from two to five years in prison and a fine of up to five hundred thousand rubles. That’s why experts at the Sova monitoring center recommended that users check which groups they belong to on social media and whether any among them are associated with a “terrorist” or “extremist” organization. The symbols of the Azov Regiment were recognized in the Russian Federation as extremists long before today’s Supreme Court decision. Images of Azov’s chevrons were included in the register of extremist materials in 2015 following the relevant ruling by the Frunzensky District Court in Vladimir. Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides for up to 15 days in prison for displaying extremist symbols.

What is the regiment “Azov”

As DW said, the regiment, with the image of one of the most famous, well-trained, but also the most controversial Ukrainian units, is part of the National Guard of Ukraine and reports to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It was founded by the far right, and its very existence was one of the reasons Russia used a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Azov’s headquarters were located in Mariupol, which is now occupied by Russian troops.

Russian officials and state media portray Azov as a “Nazi formation”. They allege that the “Azovites” “mined houses, committed atrocities and used civilians as human shields”. Duma President Vyacheslav Volodin called the “Azovites” “war criminals”.

In response to the recognition of the Azov regiment in the Russian Federation as a terrorist organization, the Ukrainian military said that Russia “after the public execution of prisoners of war of the Azov regiment in Yelenovka is looking for new reasons and explanations for its war crimes.” Azov once again called on the US and other countries to recognize Russia as a “terrorist state”. “Russia has been proving this status with its daily actions for many years. Every day, its army and special services commit war crimes. Connivance or silence is complicity,” Azov said in a statement.