Two Britons and a Moroccan man who were captured while fighting for Ukraine have been sentenced to death in what critics have described as an “unprecedented” situation equivalent to war crimes.
So what happens next? Will Russia be sentenced to death? And why is the location of the case more complicated?
Prisoners can appeal
The court found the three men, Britain’s Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and Morocco’s Brahim Saadoun, guilty of “mercenary activities and actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the DRP’s constitutional order,” media said. Russians.
The three men were captured while fighting for Ukraine against Russia and Russian-backed forces.
His lawyer said they would appeal the decision.
But even if their appeal is successful, they are still facing a life sentence.
A senior Ukrainian official says Russia is using the three prisoners as “hostages” to pressure the West on peace talks. (Konstantin Mihalchevskiy / Sputnik via AFP)
Russia has suggested a prisoner exchange
Following their capture in April, the two Britons appeared on Russian television demanding their release in exchange for a Ukrainian ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who had been detained by Ukrainian authorities.
“If Boris Johnson really cares, as he says, about British citizens, it would help to put pressure on him [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy to do the right thing and return Viktor [Medvedchuk] to his family and back to our families, “Aslin says in the video.
But previous discussions about a prisoner exchange did not move forward.
A senior Ukrainian official has said Russia wants to use the three prisoners as “hostages” to pressure the West on peace talks.
Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to the Interior Ministry, said on Friday that Ukraine would coordinate its position on the sentences with the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.
“The trial of foreigners increases the stakes in the Russian Federation’s negotiation process. They are using them as hostages to put pressure on the world to negotiate,” he said.
Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are frozen. Russia has accused Ukraine of blocking talks, but Kyiv says Moscow is to blame.
The location of the court has complicated matters
The men were sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), one of Russia’s representatives in eastern Ukraine.
The DPR is one of two Russian-backed separatist organizations in the eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, which Russia says is fighting to “liberate” Ukrainian forces.
The Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) are Russian-controlled parts of two largest regions of Ukraine. (Foreign Correspondent: Emma Machan)
Three days before launching their invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Russia recognized them as independent states in a move condemned by Ukraine and the West as illegal.
The UK does not recognize the DPR and has not publicly engaged local officials on the case.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that if London raised the issue directly with the DPR, it could mean de facto recognition of the region’s independence.
There is talk of more sanctions
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister says he and the British Secretary of Defense have discussed the plight of the three foreign fighters sentenced to death by pro-Russian separatists.
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Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter that he and Liz Truss “strongly condemned the mock trial against Russian-occupied Donetsk prisoners of war” during a call on Friday.
“As combatants, they are protected by international humanitarian law and must be treated accordingly. We continue to work together to secure their release,” Kuleba tweeted.
Kuleba said he and Mrs Truss had discussed ways to increase pressure on Moscow and hinted that the UK was planning to impose a new round of sanctions on Russia.
“I look forward to the next round of UK sanctions. We both agree that no one in the world has the right to get tired of this war until Ukraine prevails.”
There is a fear that this may set a precedent
Human rights groups say the trial for sentencing three men to death in the DPR was tantamount to war crimes.
“This is not a trial, there should be no decision to call it the death penalty, which is not the case. And they should be treated as prisoners of war in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. “Amnesty International’s Deputy Director of Research told the Institute. Denis Krivosheev Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
He warned that the court ruling would not be a singular fact.
“We are concerned that this could happen again. This situation is unprecedented,” Krivosheev said.
“This so-called Donetsk People’s Republic has the so-called penal code in which it has the so-called death penalty, which this time – and this has not happened before – apply to prisoners of war.
“We haven’t seen it before. So could this happen again? Absolutely.”
ABC / children
Posted 15 hours, 15 hours ago, Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 1:04 AM, updated 3 hours, 15 hours ago, Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 1:17 AM