Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine have sentenced three foreigners, two Britons and one Moroccan, to death by firing squad on Thursday after a "show trial" where the three were accused of being "mercenaries" for Ukraine.
Authorities from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said that the three individuals, identified as British citizens Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, and Moroccan national Brahim Saadoune, were foreign fighters who had been captured in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol by Russian forces in April.
Death by Firing Squad
Russia is the only country in the world that considers the DPR to be independent of Ukraine despite being a part of its territory. The international community does not recognize the region and its institutions and considers the territory to still be a part of Ukraine's mainland. Independent watchdog groups have long accused the separatists of a dismal human-rights track record and ill-treatment of prisoners.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Ukrainian government said that it considers all foreign volunteers to be members of its armed forces and lawful combatants entitled to treatment as prisoners of war under the Geneva conventions. On the other hand, Russian state-owned domestic news agency RIA Novosti quoted the "head of the judicial board" in Donetsk as saying that the convicted men "can appeal the decision within a month," as per CNN.
One of the defendants' lawyers, Pavel Kosovan, said that his clients would appeal the verdict. United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the judgment had "absolutely no legitimacy."
In a statement posted on Twitter, Truss said that she was utterly condemning the sentencing of the defendants held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. She called the men prisoners of war and called the death sentence a sham judgment. Truss said her thoughts were with the families of the fighters and noted that they were doing everything they could to support them.
According to the Independent, the death sentence could backfire against the Russian separatists as a friend of one of the British soldiers said that the decision would "invigorate" those who were still resisting Russia's advances in Ukraine.
Russian-Backed Separatists
An American former soldier, Brenna Phillips, who met Aslin in Syria and worked alongside him in Ukraine, said the judgment was a "provocation." In an interview, he said that instead of demoralizing fighters, the death sentence would only serve to give Ukraine more reason to fight against Russia.
Phillips, who hails from Tennessee, added that "many people expected" Russia to choose "the most provocative stance that they could take," namely, the death sentence. He added that he did not believe any men would be subjected to the death sentence.
However, he said he does believe that the men's captivity under the Russians will be extended for a little bit. The UK's independent war crimes advisor to Ukraine, Howard Morrison QC, said that the death sentence has likely been employed for "negotiation purposes."
RIA Novosti on Wednesday shared footage of the three men pleading "guilty" to the charges against them., which includes terrorism, committing a crime as part of a criminal group, and forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power, The Guardian reported.
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