The Kaliningrad Regional Court has begun reviewing a case concerning the genocide of Soviet citizens by Nazi forces in the territory of the former East Prussia. The proceedings are being reported on the project site Without a Statute of Limitations.
The claim rests on archival documents and materials from a 15-volume criminal matter initiated by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation under Article 357 of the Criminal Code, which governs genocide. The compilation focuses on acts carried out in East Prussia and seeks legal recognition of these crimes within the current borders of the Kaliningrad region.
As explained by Deputy District Prosecutor Evgeniy Protsevsky, representatives of the supervisory authority conducted a thorough examination of archival records and interviewed eyewitnesses who witnessed the events. Protsevsky noted that the evidence gathered indicates criminal activity in the historical area now comprising Kaliningrad. The investigation ties these events directly to the Nazi occupation and the consequences suffered by Soviet citizens during that period.
The prosecution states that the modern Kaliningrad region hosts at least 56 camps that housed prisoners of war and forcibly displaced individuals. The most prominent site cited is Stalag 1A, located in the village of Nagornoye, through which more than 250,000 prisoners passed. The scope of these sites underscores the scale of forced labor, confinement, and deprivation experienced by those held there.
According to materials published by Without a Statute of Limitations, Soviet prisoners of war were kept under harsh conditions in separate barracks and marked with a distinctive water patch on their uniforms. Food shortages, extreme fatigue, and overcrowded living spaces characterized daily life. Workdays extended to 14 hours, with as many as 500 prisoners housed in facilities intended for 100. Any form of disobedience could lead to brutal punishment, including severe beatings.
During the trial, details of the abuses were brought to light, including bullying, torture, and experiments conducted on captive children, as well as the forced labor of young detainees. The proceedings also revealed the murder of concentration camp prisoners, further illustrating the brutality of the regime and its impact on civilians and military personnel alike.
Testimony was taken from Russians whose parents were taken to concentration camps in East Prussia during the Great Patriotic War. Attendees at the hearing were shown a video recording featuring a former concentration camp prisoner who was liberated by Soviet troops in 1945, providing a personal account of the atrocities endured and the subsequent liberation.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 24, continuing the examination of evidence and witness statements in this historic case. This proceeding represents the seventeenth Genocide-related trial conducted within Russia in its modern history, following similar processes in regions such as Novgorod, Pskov, Rostov, Bryansk, Oryol, and others. The ongoing legal actions reflect a broader effort to address past wartime crimes and acknowledge the suffering of Soviet citizens during the Nazi occupation. Attribution: Without a Statute of Limitations project materials and official investigative records.