‘Sham trial’: Foreign Minister Penny Wong slams jailing of captured Aussie Oscar Jenkins after Russia hands down 13 year jail term

Foreign minister Penny Wong has slammed the harsh sentence Russia has handed to captured Australian man Oscar Jenkins, blasting the “sham trial” after he was jailed for 13 years.

Mr Jenkins was captured by Russian forces in December 2024 while fighting in Ukraine, with video of his interrogation by soldiers circulating pro-Russian social media channels.

The 33-year-old Melbourne man has remained in custody since then but was sentenced to 13 years’ jail by a Russian-controlled court in Ukraine’s east Luhansk region.

Mr Jenkins was convicted of being a “mercenary in an armed conflict” – with prosecutors saying he “took part in combat operations against Russian military personnel between March and December 2024”.

A video released by prosecutors shows Mr Jenkins in prison garb, behind a glass cage in a Russian court.

Mr Jenkins was ordered to serve out his sentence in a “strict regime penal colony”.

Senator Wong has since weighed in on the decision, calling the trial Mr Jenkins was subject to a “sham”.

“As a full serving member of the regular Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war,” Senator Wong said in a statement.

Russia and its eastern Ukrainian proxies consider foreigners travelling to fight in Ukraine as “mercenaries” – which allows them to be prosecuted under the criminal code, rather than being treated as captured prisoners of war with the protections that fall under the Geneva Convention.

“The Australian Government has made clear to Russia that Mr Jenkins must be given the protections afforded to him as a prisoner of war,” Senator Wong continued.

“Russia is obligated to treat him in accordance with international humanitarian law, including humane treatment.”

“We continue to hold serious concerns for Mr Jenkins. We are working with Ukraine and other partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to advocate for his welfare and release.”

Senator Wong said Mr Jenkins’ family was being provided with consular support by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

In video of Mr Jenkins’ interrogation – taken shortly after his capture – he responds to questions in broken Ukrainian, to the frustration of his interrogators.

At one point, a Russian asks him: “Do you want to live?”

Mr Jenkins replies: “I want to help Ukraine.”

It is understood he was fighting as part of the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine – which is not considered to be a mercenary group.

Mr Jenkins was thought to have been killed in captivity, until another video showing him undergoing medical treatment was revealed.