Two Brits and Moroccan man captured by Russian forces in Ukraine sentenced to death – report claims

Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were fighting on behalf of the Ukraine military

Two Britons and a Moroccan man captured by Russian forces in Ukraine have been sentenced to death, a Russian-owned news agency has reported. Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, and, Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, appeared in a court in the Donetsk People's Republic, which is held by pro-Russian rebels, RIA Novosti reported. The court is not internationally recognised and the trio are reportedly charged with being mercenaries. Alsin and Pinner's families say the men were in Ukraine's military. The UK has made clear they are prisoners of war entitled to immunity and should not face prosecution for taking part in hostilities. https://twitter.com/LLomjanska/status/1534192636948582401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1534192636948582401%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fbrits-captured-russian-forces-340644 On Telegram, RIA News said, according to the BBC: "The Supreme Court of the DPR passed the first sentence on mercenaries- the British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner and the Moroccan Saadun Brahim were sentenced to death, RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the courtroom."

The Interfax news agency said the men were tried for "mercenarism" and activities "aimed at seizing power and toppling the constitutional order" of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic.

Tass news agency quoted a lawyer acting on behalf of the defendants saying that all three "wished to" appeal against the sentence.

Another British fighter captured by pro-Russian forces, Andrew Hill, 35, is awaiting trial.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she "utterly condemned" the sentencing, describing it as a "sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy".

https://twitter.com/trussliz/status/1534913977083469831

The prime minister's official spokesman said Aslin and Pinner "should not be prosecuted".

According to Sky News, he said: "We're obviously deeply concerned by this. "We've said, continually, that prisoners of war shouldn't be exploited for political purposes.

"You'll know that under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are entitled to combatant immunity, and they should not be prosecuted for participation in hostilities.

"So we will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to try and secure the release of any British nationals who were serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and who are being held as prisoners of war."

In a statement in Tuesday, Aslin's family said they were working with the Ukrainian government and UK Foreign Office to try and free him. They said: "Aiden is a much-loved man and very much missed, and we hope that he will be released very soon." Pinner's family say he was not a volunteer or a mercenary and had in fact been "officially serving with the Ukrainian army." He has lived in Ukraine since 2018 and was on his fourth of duty in the country after serving for nine years in the British Army, Sky News reports.

• Brits captured by Russian forces face death penalty
• President Zelensky 'very happy' with Boris Johnson confidence vote win
• Moment Russian soldier flips the bird to Ukrainian drone before it blows up tank
• One-year-old boy died after being raped by Russian soldiers, Ukraine claims