Rafael Marques Lusvarghi (born November 14, 1984) is a Hungarian Brazilian former military, activist and policeman. After serving in the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

, the

Brazilian Military Police Military Police are the police uniform, uniformed Preventive police, preventive state police of the States of Brazil, states and of the Federal District (Brazil), Federal District of Brazil. The Military Police units are the main ostensive police ...

and the

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army (, FARC–EP or FARC) was a Marxist–Leninist Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla group involved in the continuing Colombian conflict starting in 1964. The FARC-EP was officially founded in ...

, he became nationally known in Brazil for his arrest during the 2014 FIFA World Cup protests, afterwards going to the

Luhansk People's Republic The Luhansk People's Republic (LPR; , ) is a disputed territory administered as a republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, with its capital in Luhansk. The LPR was proclaimed by Russian-backed paramilitar ...

, where he fought for Russia and became a senior lieutenant for the

Prizrak Brigade The Prizrak Brigade (), founded by Aleksey Mozgovoy, is an infantry unit of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), one of the self-proclaimed breakaway states located in the Donbas. It has been officially designated Prizrak Mechanized Brigade and 4t ...

. After having returned to Brazil, he was arrested during a layover in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

and condemned to thirteen years in prison in counts of

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

and formation of an illegal

paramilitary unit A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

. Having been provisionally released by a

court of appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...

, he was suddenly captured in 2018 by

Azov Battalion The 12th Special Forces Brigade "Azov" () is a formation of the National Guard of Ukraine formerly based in Mariupol, in the coastal region of the Sea of Azov, from which it derives its name. It was founded in May 2014 as the Azov Battalion (), ...

and C14 and taken to authorities, which hastened his trial, afterwards provisorily sentencing him on May 11 to sixty days in prison. On May 2, 2019, he was sentenced by a court in Ukraine to 13 years in prison for his willing participation as a terrorist and propagandist in Russia's waging of aggressive war on Ukraine. Lusvarghi was released (during a major prison exchange) and handed over to

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR; , ) is Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupied territory in Ukraine that the Russian Federation has claimed to annex and declared as a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia, comprising parts o ...

and Luhansk People's Republic representatives on 29 December 2019.https://archive.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/in-prisoner-swap-ukraine-releases-killers-terrorists-with-ties-to-russia.html On 3 November 2021, a Brazilian court sentenced Lusvarghi to eight years in prison for his alleged involvement in the

illegal drug trade The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of drug prohibition, prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibitionism, prohibit trade, exce ...

Military career

After finishing an

agronomy Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...

vocational school A vocational school (alternatively known as a trade school, or technical school), is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary education#List of tech ed skills, secondary or post-secondar ...

, Lusvarghi allegedly went to France and, in November 2002, enlisted in the Foreign Legion, where he served for three years, at first participating in the

4th Foreign Regiment The 4th Foreign Regiment () is a training regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. Prior to assuming the main responsibility of training Legion recruits, it was an infantry unit which participated in campaigns in Morocco, Levant, Fren ...

, and then in the

2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment () is the only airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of the four infantry regiments of the 11th Parachute Brigade and part of the spearhead of the French rapid reaction force. Si ...

, through which he allegedly participated in missions in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

before being harmed and returning to Brazil. Back to his native country, he became a soldier in the

Military Police of São Paulo State The Polícia Militar do Estado de São Paulo (''São Paulo State Military Police'') is a military law enforcement agency of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is the largest state police force in Brazil. According to São Paulo state law, the a ...

between 2006 and 2007, afterwards serving in

Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...

as he sought the officer career, leaving the institution as a

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

in 2009 and going to Russia in 2010, where he studied

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

in the

Kursk State University Kursk State University (Russian ''Курский государственный университет'') is Kursk's oldest higher educational institution, founded in 1934 as Kursk State Pedagogical Institute, later in 1994 transformed into Kurs ...

, was nicknamed Rurik and became notorious in his home country after witnessing the accidental death of a fellow Brazilian, then also studying medical sciences. In Russia, Lusvarghi allegedly worked in the children's school ''Udmurtija'' and tried to enter the

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

, but, not being able to, he returned to South America, where he claims to have entered the

, serving in Cartagena and Arauca before feeling frustrated with negotiations with the Colombian state and leaving the forces, returning to his native city

Jundiaí Jundiaí is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo, in the Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast Region of Brazil, located north of São Paulo. The population of the city is 443,221, with an area ...

and working as an

English language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...

teacher and a

help desk A help desk is a department or person that provides assistance and information, usually for electronic or computer problems. In the mid-1990s, research by Iain Middleton of Robert Gordon University studied the value of an organization's help des ...

assistant. He became once again nationally famous after his second imprisonment during the

2014 protests in Brazil The 2014 protests in Brazil, also known as There won't be a Cup or Fifa go homeSILVA, Geraldo (2013). ‘Call me the World Cup and invest in me’†. A commentary on Brazil’s recent street protests against the World Cup and the Olympic Games. ...

, in

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

. In this particular occasion, he was photographed being brutalised by police with a plastic bottle and

pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, mace, or capsicum spray is a Tear gas, lachrymator (tear gas) product containing as its active ingredient the chemical compound capsaicin, which irritates the eyes with burning ...

, accused of being part of a

black bloc A black bloc (sometimes black block) is a tactic used by protesters who wear black clothing, ski masks, scarves, sunglasses, motorcycle helmets with padding or other face-concealing and face-protecting items.

group and arrested for 45 days in the 8th Police Station of

before being released for lack of evidence, after technical reports proved he did not possess any

explosive material An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...

s on occasion. According to an interview to Portal G1, the proof of his supposed crime was an empty bottle of

yogurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to ...

he did not even recognise as his own.

Luhansk campaign

On September 20, 2014, having been convoked by the Continental Unity and the Brazilian Front, Lusvarghi, in the context of

War in Donbass The war in Donbas, or the Donbas war, was a phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. The war began in April 2014, when Russian paramilitaries seized several towns. Ukraine's military launched an operation ...

, costed his own trip to the Russian puppet state of the

, where he was alleged in

Sloviansk Sloviansk is a city in Donetsk Oblast, northern part of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The city was known as ''Tor'' until 1784. While it did not actually belong to the raion itself, Sloviansk served as the administrative center of the S ...

and entered the

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

of the

, associated to the Unity, in a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

commanded by the

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

n Victor Afonso Lenta, operating a

BM-21 Grad The BM-21 "Grad" () is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat use in March 1969 during the Sino-S ...

vehicle. On occasion, Lusvarghi reported to have been motivated by family links to the

Russian people Russians ( ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian, the most spoken Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Orthodox Christianity, ever since the Middle Ages. By total numbers ...

, plus aversion to

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

's advances, specially representing the interests of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. Afterwards, he reported having become a supporter of the Fourth Political Theory. Initially fighting for the Paltinik unit as a soldier of the infantry duty, he was transferred for the Babay unit in November, where he quickly became an instructor, being promoted in January 2015 to

first sergeant First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries. Singapore First sergeant is a Specialist (Singapore), specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First sergeants are the most senior of the junior spe ...

and returning to Paltinik, afterwards being promoted to senior lieutenant. Lusvarghi fought aside at least three other Brazilians in this early period, and received, as a tribute to the

hard liquor Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. While the w ...

of his native country, the ''

nom de guerre A ''nom de guerre'' (, 'war name') is a pseudonym chosen by someone to use when they are involved in a particular activity, especially fighting in a war. In Ancien régime, ''ancien régime'' Kingdom of France, France it would be adopted by each n ...

'' "

Cachaça ''Cachaça'' () is a Liquor, distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Also known as ''pinga'', ''caninha'', and other names, it is the most popular spirit in Brazil.Cavalcante, Messias Soares. Todos os nomes da cachaça. São Pau ...

", which he used for the same period in social media. During the war, Lusvarghi came to head his own unit, with volunteers from many nationalities, including Brazilians, called ''Vikernes'', named after the Norwegian musician

Varg Vikernes Louis Cachet (born Kristian Vikernes; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes (), is a Norwegian musician and author best known for his early black metal albums and later for his crimes. His first five records, released under the name Bu ...

, who was afterwards informed of the tribute by Lusvarghi himself. In April 2015, he was harmed in action in the

Donetsk International Airport Donetsk Sergei Prokofiev International Airport is a former airport located northwest of Donetsk, Ukraine, that was destroyed in 2014 during the war in Donbas. It was built in the 1940s, rebuilt in 1973, and then again from 2011 to 2012 for Eu ...

and hospitalised. According to a report by the

Security Service of Ukraine The Security Service of Ukraine ( ; abbreviated as SBU [] or SSU) is the main Internal security, internal security agency of the Government of Ukraine, Ukrainian government. Its main duties include counter-intelligence activity and combati ...

, he took part in duty in the

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; ; ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin, and Stalino, is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast, which is currently occupied by Russia as the capita ...

localities of

Horlivka Horlivka ( ; , ), also known as Gorlovka (, ), is a city in Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine. Its population is Economic activity is predominantly coal mining and the chemical industry. The Horlivka Institute for Foreign Languages has a two-building ...

, Permovaisk and Verhulivka, plus in the

Luhansk Oblast Luhansk Oblast (; ), also referred to as Luhanshchyna (), is the easternmost Administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the n ...

localities of

Starobesheve Starobesheve (; ) is a rural settlement in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. The town is located on the right bank of the river Kalmius, about northwest of the internationally recognized border with Russia. Population: History In the Russian Em ...

and

Debaltseve Debaltseve (, ) or Debaltsevo (), is a city in Horlivka Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, currently occupied by Russia as part of the Donetsk People's Republic. The city is situated on the eastern edge of Donetsk Oblast, and borders Luhansk Oblas ...

, receiving a

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...

from Igor Strelkov. After being allegedly disappointed by the resolutions of

Minsk II The Minsk agreements were a series of international agreements which sought to end the Donbas war fought between armed Russian separatist groups and Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Russian regular forces playing a central part. After a defe ...

, the behaviour of the allied group ''Rusich'' and the low quality of new soldiers, he returned to Brazil.

Imprisonment

On October 6, 2016, Lusvarghi was detained by the

in the

Boryspil International Airport The Boryspil International Airport () , also known as Kyiv Boryspil Airport, is an international airport in Boryspil, east of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is Ukraine's largest airport, serving 65% of its passenger air traffic, including al ...

, having been attracted by supposed job opportunities in the ''Omega'' company and intercepted in layover. Investigations by the Brazilian independent magazine Opera claimed the company had among its clients the Maximum Directory of Intelligence of the

Ukrainian Ministry of Defense The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine () is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees national defence and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The head of the ministry is the Minister of Defence. The President of Ukraine is the Supreme Com ...

, and that a preventive detention warrant had been emitted in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

two days before he arrived the country. On January 25, 2017, Lusvarghi was condemned to thirteen years in prison and forfeiture for terrorism and creation of an illegal paramilitary, in a polemical condemnation which represented the first process against a foreigner for such crimes in the country, drawing attention from the Ukrainian lawyer Valentin Rybin, who started to advocate for the ex-military, disclosing that his client had confessed under torture, which Lusvarghi had himself alleged in private letters, and also had been forced to make statements against his own will, as opposed to what the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had claimed before. Although Lusvarghi did not manage to take part in the usual prisoners' exchange, his condemnation was revoked on August 17 by the

Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...

, which abode the argumentation that the original judgement had based itself solely in the confession of the ex-military, without taking account the allegation of forced guilt plea, which granted him provisional release until next trial, accomplished on December 18 after expiration of the deadline for new pleas. With his passport retained, Lusvarghi started to work for and live in the Monastery of Holy Intercession, in the

Holosiivskyi National Nature Park The Holosiiv National Nature Park () is a protected remnant of forest surrounded by the urban area of the city of Kyiv, Ukraine. It is located on the Kyiv Hills, in the Dniester-Dnieper forest-steppe province, North-Dnieper lowland and steppe zo ...

, converting from

Ásatrú Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a Modern paganism, modern pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the ea ...

Orthodox Christianity Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

. After being found by

Radio Svoboda Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...

in late April, however, he took shelter in the Brazilian embassy, in which outskirts he was captured on 4 May by far-right groups

and C14 and taken to authorities, attacking him in action transmitted live on Facebook by Serhi Filimonov and leaving him at the doorstep of the Security Service of Ukraine. On the following day, his court hearing was rescheduled from June 6 to 7 May. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, despite the truculence displayed on the video, Lusvarghi, who asked for police protection after the assault, was well and safe. The case's attorney announced he would demand imprisonment. Lusvarghi was released (during a major prison exchange) and handed over to

and

representatives on 29 December 2019.

Return to Brazil

On 9 May 2021, Lusvarghi was arrested in Brazil for possession of drugs and ammunition.Brazilian Lusvarga, who fought against Ukraine, was arrested for drugs

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...

(10 May 2021) Lusvarghi told the Brazilian police he had arrived in

Presidente Prudente, São Paulo Presidente Prudente is a Municipalities of Brazil, Brazilian municipality located in the Interior of São Paulo, interior of São Paulo (state), São Paulo, approximately 558 kilometers from the state capital, São Paulo. According to the 2024 e ...

in search of work a month earlier and had agreed to keep drugs and ammunition at home at the request of other people, for this he was given 3,000

reais The Brazilian real ( pl. '; sign: R$; code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real replaced the cruzeiro real in 1994. ...

per month. On 3 November 2021, a Brazilian court sentenced Lusvarghi to eight years in prison.Lusvarghi, a DNR militant, was sentenced to eight years in prison in Brazil
(3 November 2021)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lusvarghi, Rafael 1984 births Eastern Orthodox Christians from Brazil Living people Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy from paganism Brazilian people of Hungarian descent Pro-Russian people of the war in Donbas Members of FARC Prisoners and detainees of Ukraine Prisoners and detainees of Brazil Individuals designated as terrorist by the government of Ukraine

Military career

Luhansk campaign

Imprisonment

Return to Brazil

See also

References