Kyiv frees Georgian wanted in Russia for murder:
By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
Ukraine has released a Georgian man who is wanted in Russia on suspicion of murder and fought against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office issued an announcement about Gia Tsertsvadze's release on January 26.
Tsertsvadze, who had been placed on an international wanted list at Russia's request, was detained on January 15 at Zhulyany airport in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Russian authorities accuse Tsertsvadze of committing murder and attempted murder in Russia in 2003.
Tsertsvadze's lawyer, Ksenia Prokonova, argued that Russian calls for Tsertsvadze's extradition were politically motivated, as he fought alongside Kyiv's forces in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Mamuka Mamulashvili, the leader of the so-called Georgian Legion -- a unit of fighters from Georgia that has been incorporated into Ukraine's armed forces -- had warned Kyiv that his fighters would leave Ukraine if Tsertsvadze was extradited to Russia.
Brazilian jailed for 13 years over conflict in east:
By Christopher Miller
A Brazilian citizen who authorities say fought alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by a Kyiv court.
The Brazilian was convicted of creating a "terrorist organization" and "recruiting mercenaries for terrorists," the Pechersk district court said in a statement.
The January 25 statement did not name the man or say when he was sentenced.
Ukrainian media, including outlets based in separatist-held territory in eastern Ukraine, have reported that his name is Rafael Lusvarghi and that he was arrested upon arrival at Kyiv's Boryspil International Airport in October 2016.
Ukraine calls the conflict in its eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions an "antiterrorist operation," and officials often refer to forces on the separatist side as "terrorists."
A Facebook page advocating for Lusvarghi's release and featuring a photo of a fighter holding a separatist flag shared a report by a separatist website confirming it was he who was sentenced. The website said Lusvarghi is 32 years old.
The Kyiv prosecutor's office has alleged that the Brazilian convicted in court fought alongside separatists between September 2014 and May 2015, including in deadly battles for the town of Debaltseve and the Donetsk airport.
During that time, he served as a military instructor and scout, as well as a recruiter of foreign fighters, the prosecutor's office said.
He is believed to be the first non-Russian to be convicted and sentenced by Ukraine for alleged crimes relating to the war, which has killed more than 9,750 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.
Foreigners from several countries have fought in the war. Russian media have quoted Lusvarghi as saying that he "fights not only for Novorossia, but also for a multipolar world."
The term Novorossia means "New Russia" and is used by some Russians and separatists to refer to large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine that they covet. (w/RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)