Russian Embassy in Australia ✔

The Embassy has been approached by several Australian media outlets regarding the conviction in absentia of Australian citizen Kallen Benjamin Lewis.

The Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic has sentenced Mr Lewis in absentia to 14 years in a maximum-security prison. He has also been placed on the international wanted list.

Mr Lewis was found guilty under Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Mercenarism”).

Let us once again recall that according to the Russian law a mercenary is a person acting for the purpose of receiving material compensation and who is not a citizen of a state participating in an armed conflict or military actions, does not permanently reside on its territory, and is not a person sent to perform official duties.

Why, then, do Australian media, including the national broadcaster, have no qualms about giving a platform to someone who perfectly fits that definition?

Moreover, under Part 5.5 of the Australian Criminal Code, it is an offence to enter a foreign country with an intention to engage in a hostile activity.

Local experts keep insisting that individuals like Mr Lewis “serve with an armed force of a foreign country” and are therefore exempt from this provision.

Assuming that such an exemption was officially approved by the Australian Government as per the Australian Criminal Code, do Mr Lewis and others like him currently perform official duties in Ukraine?

If this is the case, some explanations to the Russian side would not have gone amiss. 

www.group-telegram.com/us/RusEmbAu.com/5127

8.51K viewsOct 10 at 07:13

The Embassy has been approached by several Australian media outlets regarding the conviction in absentia of Australian citizen Kallen Benjamin Lewis.

The Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic has sentenced Mr Lewis in absentia to 14 years in a maximum-security prison. He has also been placed on the international wanted list.

Mr Lewis was found guilty under Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Mercenarism”).

Let us once again recall that according to the Russian law a mercenary is a person acting for the purpose of receiving material compensation and who is not a citizen of a state participating in an armed conflict or military actions, does not permanently reside on its territory, and is not a person sent to perform official duties.

Why, then, do Australian media, including the national broadcaster, have no qualms about giving a platform to someone who perfectly fits that definition?

Moreover, under Part 5.5 of the Australian Criminal Code, it is an offence to enter a foreign country with an intention to engage in a hostile activity.

Local experts keep insisting that individuals like Mr Lewis “serve with an armed force of a foreign country” and are therefore exempt from this provision.

Assuming that such an exemption was officially approved by the Australian Government as per the Australian Criminal Code, do Mr Lewis and others like him currently perform official duties in Ukraine?

If this is the case, some explanations to the Russian side would not have gone amiss. 

BY Russian Embassy in Australia