Britons sentenced to death after 'show trial' in Russian-occupied Ukraine

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Guardian

Pro-Russia officials have sentenced to death two British men and a Moroccan national captured while fighting in the Ukrainian army in Mariupol.

A court in Russian-controlled east Ukraine convicted Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner after a days-long process that observers have called a “disgusting Soviet era show trial” meant to imitate war crimes trials against Russian soldiers in Kyiv.
...
Both Britons have said they were serving in the Ukrainian marines, making them active-duty soldiers who should be protected by the Geneva conventions on prisoners of war. However, Russian state media has portrayed them as mercenaries, and the court has convicted them on the charge of “being a mercenary”.
...
A pro-Russia official in Donetsk said that while the men had pleaded guilty, they were given the death penalty because of “the main, unshakable principle – justice”. The process was closed and only small fragments of the proceedings were made public through pro-Kremlin media.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/09/britons-sentenced-to-death-russian-occupied-ukraine-aiden-aslin-shaun-pinner

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There does not appear to be any specific act the Russians are claiming they did - just that they were fighting on the side of the Ukrainian government. The Russians no doubt want to use them for bargaining purposes - this is their "we'll kill the hostages" video.

[Ilsa]

1. Barbarians and authoritarian control freaks. nt

[cstanleytech]

2. Britain should recall all its ambassadors and its people from Russia and

expel the Russian ambassadors and Ann Russian citizens and deny them entry and the same goes for every western nation.
Also all trade to Russia should be halted and other countries that try to support Russia should be warned that the same could be applied to them.

[Coventina]

3. Wars have been started over less. Be careful what you wish for, Russia.

[DFW]

4. I agree. This is for Rusian domstic consumption, since Putin knows we see through the BS

These guys will be used as bargaining chips. If Putin kills them, he can start building a few new apartment blocks for the several thousand Russian diplomatic personnel coming home after being expelled from just about everywhere.

[flying_wahini]

5. I hope Putin dies soon.

[jeffreyi]

6. F*%@ing Orcs.