Ukraine, the two British who fought in Mariupol sentenced to death

Two British citizens, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, captured by pro-Russian militias in April while fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol were sentenced to death. This was decided by the ‘Supreme Court’ of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, which found them guilty of “terrorism” for having fought as “mercenaries”. Capital punishment also for the Moroccan prisoner Ibrahim Saadun. The trial, which took place behind closed doors, began on Tuesday. Read also Aslin, 28, from Newark, and Pinner, 48, from Watford, defended themselves by claiming to be soldiers of the Ukrainian regular army and thus claiming the right to be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. . The two Britons and the Moroccan, their lawyer, Pavel Kosovan, told Tass, will appeal. Analysts have already spoken of a “mock trial” for “fabricated crimes”, aimed rather at putting pressure on Britain and asking for an exchange of prisoners with Russian soldiers accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine. he is said to be “deeply concerned” by the death sentence of two compatriots. The spokesman for Downing Street recalled that Aslin and Pinner are “prisoners of war and we have repeatedly said that they must not be exploited for political purposes. According to the Geneva convention – he stressed – prisoners of war have the right to immunity. of fighters and should not be prosecuted for their participation in hostilities “. The British government therefore announced that it “will work with the Ukrainian authorities to try to obtain the release of the compatriots who serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and who are prisoners of war”.