Two Britons and a Moroccan, who fought for Ukraine’s armed forces, were sentenced to death on Thursday by a court in Russian-held eastern territory. Ukraine After being accused of being a mercenary, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.
The death penalty was the latest ominous move in a trial that has worried human rights advocates and Western governments, raising questions about the protections granted to thousands of foreign-born fighters serving in Ukraine, some of whom have been sentenced to war. He has been taken prisoner in the field.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss wrote on Twitter that the court’s decision was a “pretentious decision with absolute validity”. A British member of parliament called the proceedings a “Soviet-era-style show trial”.
Prosecutors accused the three men – Aiden Aslin, 28, Sean Piner, 48, and Brahim Sadoun – of being mercenaries and terrorists who violently attacked the government of the Donetsk People’s Republic, one of two different regions in eastern Ukraine. were demanding the overthrow. has been recognized.
But the men’s defenders said all three had immigrated to Ukraine, made homes there and were fighting for the military of their adopted country, before being embroiled in a trial in which the verdict was predetermined.
British fighters Aiden Aslin and Sean Piner sentenced to death by firing squad for fighting in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/bivVeSZsY6
— The Sun (@TheSun) 10 June 2022
The harsh sentences received a swift and angry rebuke from the British government. According to the BBC, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that “Prisoners of War should not be exploited for political purposes.”
Legal experts said the trial was meant to discourage foreign volunteers, including Americans, from joining Ukraine’s military by warning them that they could be denied protections given to prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions.
But on Thursday, judicial officials in the Donetsk People’s Republic, where Russian-allied forces have been fighting Ukrainian troops since 2014, doubled down on their argument that the men were violent mercenaries who deserved to be executed.
Prosecutors claimed that the three men were guilty of “training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities” and carried out their activities “for a fee”.
Alexander Nikulin, chairman of the board of the Appellate Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic, stated that the men intended to overthrow the de facto government of the region, which is allied with Moscow and Ukraine, along with most of the rest of the world, legitimate. does not accept as such.
Nikulin said the court had convicted the men and sentenced them to death after being convicted on charges of mercenary.
According to Interfax, he told reporters, “While pronouncing the sentence, the court not only used written rules and regulations, but also used the main, unshakable principle of justice.” The men have a month to appeal.
At a hearing on Wednesday, three men stood in glass cages in a courtroom in the region’s capital, Donetsk, according to video released by the Russian government. All three were asked if they would accept their guilt for the charges, and each said yes.
Interfax said Piner and Aslin surrendered in April in the southern port city of Mariupol, while Sadoun surrendered in March in the eastern city of Volnovakha.
The British Prime Minister’s Office insisted that, under the Geneva Conventions, “prisoners of war are entitled to combat immunity and should not be prosecuted for taking part in hostilities.”
Robert Jenrick, a Conservative member of parliament in Aslin’s hometown of Central, Newark Englandwrote on Twitter that Aslin was not a mercenary, but was living in Ukraine and served in its armed forces before the Russian invasion. Jenrick said Aslin is entitled to protection under the Geneva Conventions.
“This disgusting Soviet-era-style show trial is the latest reminder of the corruption of Putin’s regime,” he wrote. “They can’t treat British citizens like this and get away with it.”
Under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war must be treated humanely and protected from violence, intimidation, humiliation and public curiosity, as well as provided with shelter and food, clothing and medical care.
Denis Krivoshev, an Amnesty International official, said the sentences were a “gross violation of international humanitarian law”.
“Three were members of the Ukrainian Regular Forces,” he said, “and under the Geneva Conventions, as prisoners of war, they are protected from prosecution for participating in hostilities.” He said the only exception is to prosecute on charges of war crimes.
According to the BBC, Aslin moved to Ukraine in 2018 and joined its military. The broadcaster said he was engaged to a Ukrainian woman. Pinner hails from Bedfordshire, had served in the British Army and was married to a Ukrainian, the BBC reported.
Saadoun arrived in Ukraine in 2019, learned Russian and signed up for the Ukrainian military a year ago, said a friend, Ilya Zub.
“Brahim is not a mercenary,” said Jubb, adding that he had known Saadoun for more than a year. “He came to Ukraine in 2019 and decided he wanted to start a new life.”