Death penalty for foreigners: The United States concerned about russia's sham "trial" verdicts
PHOTO: "RIA Novosti"
The United States is concerned about the death sentences of three foreign nationals in the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" and is urging russia to abide by humanitarian law.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote this on Twitter.
"We are gravely concerned by reports of a sham 'trial' and its judgements against lawful combatants serving in Ukraine's Armed Forces. We call on Russia and its proxies to respect international humanitarian law, including the rights and protections afforded prisoners of war," the statement said.
We are gravely concerned by reports of a sham "trial" and its judgements against lawful combatants serving in Ukraine's Armed Forces. We call on Russia and its proxies to respect international humanitarian law, including the rights and protections afforded prisoners of war.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 9, 2022
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that the "trial" of British citizens, who defended Ukraine as part of the Ukrainian army, in occupied Donetsk was pathetic and propagandistic. The spokesperson of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleh Nikolenko, said in a comment to the Ukrainian Pravda:
"The so-called 'trial' of Ukrainian forces servicemen in the occupied Ukrainian territories is pathetic. Such public tribunals place propaganda interests above the law and morals and undermine the return of prisoners of war. The Ukrainian government will continue to make every effort to release all defenders of Ukraine," Nikolenko said.
On June 9, russian state media reported that two British nationals, 28-year-old Aiden Aslin and 48-year-old Sean Pinner, appeared in court in russian-controlled Donetsk, where they were found guilty of mercenaries and acts of embezzlement to overthrow the so-called constitutional order of the unrecognized pseudo-republic of the DPR.
They were reportedly sentenced to death along with Moroccan citizen Saaudun Brahim.
The British Foreign Secretary has condemned the "death sentence" of Britons Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner in a so-called court in occupied Donetsk.
I utterly condemn the sentencing of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine.
They are prisoners of war. This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy.
My thoughts are with the families. We continue to do everything we can to support them.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) June 9, 2022
"I utterly condemn the sentencing of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. They are prisoners of war. This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy," Truss said.
The speaker of the Ukrainian ministry stressed that all foreigners who fight on Ukrainian territory as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are servicemen of the Ukrainian troops.
According to him, under international humanitarian law, they are subject to the legal status of combatants.
All captured servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have the rights of prisoners of war, and the enemy is prohibited from abusing, intimidating, or inhumanely treating them.
