“A military court in the city of Maylen, in the canton of Zurich, sentenced a 49-year-old Swiss man to 18 months of conditional imprisonment for military service in Ukraine, where he fought against the Russian invaders.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: “European Truth” with reference to SRF
Details: 49-year-old Avi M. is Swiss and fought in the Ukrainian army as a sniper, while Swiss law prohibits service in the armed forces of a foreign country and qualifies as mercenary.
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Avi M. himself talked about the service in an interview with the mass media, and also spoke on social networks.
The prosecution had sought six months in prison without parole, citing the man’s previous criminal record and the need to prevent him from further service abroad.
Instead, the defense argued for an acquittal, arguing that there was no evidence that Avi M. “took part in hostilities or was at the front,” except for media reports. The lawyers also referred to the testimony of the man’s mother, who said that she “doesn’t believe 80% of what her son says.”
On Thursday, the military court sentenced Avi M. to 18 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of four years. The man himself was not present in court – he has been living in Israel for some time, where he is raising his son.
As SRF notes, this was the first trial for Switzerland against a volunteer who fought on the side of Ukraine against Russian forces.
Prehistory:
- In February 2025, the Swiss authorities confirmed the death of their citizen who participated in the war against Russia on the side of Ukrainian forces – this was the first such case.
- In 2024, it was reported that Zurich resident Jonah Neidhart, who had spent two years fighting with the International Legion in Ukraine against Russian forces, returned home and voluntarily surrendered to the police for violating military law.