Ukraine Files Charges Against IRGC Commander for 'Complicity in War Crimes'

Ukraine's Attorney General's Office has issued an indictment against an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander for involvement in Russian war crimes against Ukraine. According to a statement from the Attorney General's Office dated August 24, the IRGC commander, identified as Abbas Mousa Sharifi Malasraei, is accused of coordinating and commanding drone attacks against Ukraine alongside Russian soldiers in occupied areas of Ukraine. The statement reveals that a group of eight Iranian advisors traveled to annexed Crimea in September 2022 to train Russian forces in the use of Iranian-made drones. The Attorney General's Office states that this group not only trained Russian soldiers but also assisted them in attacking targets within Ukraine using these weapons. Reportedly, under Sharifi Malasraei's supervision, Russian soldiers conducted over twenty attacks using Shahed 136 and Mohajer 6 drones against targets in Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions in southern Ukraine, resulting in significant civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure. An official from the Attorney General's Office stated that the issuance of this indictment against an IRGC commander signifies that, from Ukraine's perspective, Iran is a party to the war and is considered complicit in the war crimes committed by Russia against Ukraine. However, the Iranian government has consistently claimed neutrality in the conflict and has repeatedly asserted that it has not supplied any weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine. Nonetheless, there is substantial evidence contradicting this claim. The Attorney General's statement identifies Abbas Mousa Sharifi Malasraei, born on April 7, 1986, as a brigadier general in the IRGC, with his passport number included. According to this statement, this IRGC official is accused under Ukrainian criminal law of coordinating with the aggressors and aiding the continuation of the war, as well as violating international war laws, facing a potential 15-year prison sentence in Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies have been diligently collecting evidence of war crimes committed by the Russian government and military since the early days of the large-scale military invasion, with many Russian officials being prosecuted in absentia. The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for several senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin. However, this is the first time a non-Russian military official has faced charges related to Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The Shahed suicide drones have become one of Russia's primary weapons for attacks against Ukrainian civilians, while intentional killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure is considered a war crime under international conventions. Yuri Belyusov, the head of war crime prosecution at the Attorney General's Office in Ukraine, stated that with the issuance of the first indictment against an IRGC official, Ukraine has legally demonstrated Iran's involvement in the war against Ukraine, despite denials from Iranian officials. This Ukrainian official added that the Security Service of Ukraine and the Attorney General's Office continue to gather evidence to prove Iran's involvement in Russian war crimes, emphasizing that 'this process does not end with the issuance of an indictment.' The Attorney General's Office also noted that the indictment was issued in absentia, but all evidence has been shared with Ukraine's allies and will be submitted to Interpol to ensure that 'the suspect and all those who committed crimes cannot evade responsibility for their actions.' In response, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly accused Kyiv of making allegations against Iran without providing sufficient evidence. According to the new statement from the Attorney General's Office, there is evidence indicating that Russia's request for military assistance from Iran dates back to the summer of 2022, about four months after the onset of the large-scale military invasion and amid significant advances by Ukrainian forces in the northeastern and southern fronts. According to this report, Iran accepted this request and delivered at least 1,500 drones to Russia within two months. By late September of that year, Russia began using Shahed drones on the front lines and subsequently in attacks against Ukrainian cities. Thousands of Shahed model drones have been launched against targets in Ukraine, and evidence suggests that the Iranian government has assisted Russia in establishing production lines for these drones. Reports have also emerged regarding Iran's preparations to export ballistic missiles to Russia. Since the beginning of the war, cooperation between Moscow and Tehran and visits by officials from both countries, including military-security officials, have increased unprecedentedly. After months of denying the delivery of drones to Russia, Tehran acknowledged that 'a limited number were sent before the war.' Despite the Islamic Republic's claims, the United States and the European Union have imposed further sanctions on Iran for supplying drones and other military assistance to Russia, warning that missile deliveries would be met with a 'swift and severe' response. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly accused Iran of becoming 'a partner in terrorist actions and war crimes committed by Russia' in response to the Shahed drone attacks against civilians and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also emphasized that Moscow and Tehran are 'responsible for terrorist cooperation.' According to Yuri Belyusov, a representative of the Attorney General's Office in Ukraine, with the first indictment against an IRGC commander, Ukraine has legally declared Iran a party to the war. He elaborated that the delivery of weapons, training of soldiers, and other actions that facilitate the continuation of Russia's war against Ukraine 'constitute involvement in Russia's military aggression.'