Snapshot of a War Crime: The Case of Russian Colonel, Yuri Budanov

• Main Author: Ray Finch
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur les Sociétés et les Institutions Post-Soviétiques 2011-12-01
• Series: Journal of Power Institutions in Post-Soviet Societies
• Subjects: Armed Forces; Budanov; War Crime; Crimes against Civilians; Military Justice; Kungayeva
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/pipss/3840

In the study of war, certain images become symbolic. In Vietnam, it might have been the photo of the young child running naked from a napalm explosion on her village. In the Iraq war, the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad. The trials of Russian Colonel, Yuri Budanov became the iconic event for many Russians when thinking about the most recent conflict with Chechnya (1999-2008). This paper will examine the trials surrounding the alleged war crimes of this Russian officer, the background to this crime, the course of the trials, and the political and social factors which affected the various verdicts. The article will also touch upon the dilemma involved with distinguishing combatants from non-combatants in a counter-insurgency operation.