A court in Prague sentenced Czech citizen Filip Siman to seven years in prison for looting during military unrest in the suburbs of Kyiv in April 2022 following the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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Siman, 27, is a former soldier in the Czech Army who fought in Ukraine's 49th Assault Battalion, Carpathian Sich. In April 2022, he took part in the cleanup of Irpin and Bucha after the retreat of Russian forces.
The court charged Siman with stealing the property of soldiers and civilians who died during the battles. He filmed the robberies and posted them on social media and claims he was following orders from his command unit.
He was detained by the Ukrainian military, after which he returned to his homeland.
The sentence handed down was more lenient because the court ruled that in peacetime in the Czech Republic, a soldier would not have committed such a crime.
Among the things he stole were gold, a ring, cash, household electronics, and an aviation oxygen mask from an An-225 Mria aircraft.
In addition to looting, Simana was accused of serving in foreign armed forces. He was acquitted on that charge.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and former President Milos Zeman promised not to prosecute citizens who joined the Ukrainian Army.
Siman said he regretted his actions.
"I did what I was told. The commander told me that war trophies are war trophies. We did nothing that others didn't do," he said.
The Carpathian Sich battalion denies it gave Simon an order to break the law.
The sentence has not entered into legal force and can be appealed.