The two Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were shown together with the Moroccan Saaudun Brahim in a video from a court hearing published by the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, writes BBC. Aslin and Pinner are among others accused of having tried to “take power”, writes The Independent. Separatist leader Denis Pushilin said on Monday that it could not be ruled out that the men would be sentenced to death. On Thursday, Russian media reported that the verdict is a fact. The state-run Russian news agency RIA writes that the three men will probably be shot. They will have the opportunity to appeal the verdict and have been given a deadline of one month, according to RIA. Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Saaudun Brahim were among more than 2,000 soldiers who surrendered at the Mariupol steelworks. Photo: SUPREME COURT OF DPR / Reuters British authorities: – Deep concern A spokesman for the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says they are deeply concerned. “We have said repeatedly that prisoners of war should not be exploited for political purposes,” the spokesman told Reuters. – We will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to try to secure the release of British citizens who have served with Ukrainian forces, and who are now being held as prisoners of war. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss wrote on Twitter that she condemned the verdicts. – My thoughts are with the family. We continue to do everything we can to support them, she continues. Propaganda video It is the government of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk (DPR) in eastern Ukraine that has broadcast the propaganda video from the courtroom where the three foreigners are accused of being mercenaries. In the video, Aslin appears to be guilty of offenses involving weapons and explosives. While the shoulder against him was read aloud, he stood upright and read through several pages of court documents. The British and Moroccans were among more than 2,000 soldiers who surrendered after defending the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol. They are to blame for a number of offenses, including training to carry out terrorist attacks in Donetsk, according to local separatist authorities. The court of the People’s Republic of DPR is not internationally recognized. The two Britons say they served together with regular military units in Mariupol, and that they should thus have protection as prisoners of war, in line with the Geneva Convention. Relatives of Aslin tell The Independent that they are cooperating with the British Foreign Office and the Ukrainian government to get him home. Russian control in Sevierodonetsk Most of the city of Sevierodonetsk is now under Russian control. According to CNN, Ukrainian special forces had control of almost half of the city earlier this week, but in recent days, Russian forces have intensified airstrikes. – The Russians are destroying everything. They fire cannons and tanks at apartment blocks, says Serhiy Hayday, who heads the Luhansk military administration for the Ukrainian news website RBC-Ukraine. Smoke rises over Sevierodonetsk, a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants in eastern Ukraine. The photo was taken on June 7. Photo: ARIS MESSINIS / AFP READ AND: Norway has given artillery weapons to Ukraine
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Briton sentenced to death for fighting for Ukraine – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
