PM fights to save condemned Brits

BORIS Johnson has ordered ministers to do “everything in their power” to secure the release of two Britons condemned to death for fighting Russian forces in a “sham” sentencing.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss discussed efforts to secure the release of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner with her Ukrainian counterpart yesterday after the judgment by a Russian proxy court.

A relative of Mr Aslin urged Britain and Ukraine to “do everything in their power to have them returned to us safely, and soon”.

They said Mr Aslin, 28, and Mr Pinner, 48, “are not, and never were, mercenaries” and should be treated as prisoners of war as they were fighting as part of the Ukrainian army.

The pair were convicted of taking action towards violent seizure of power at a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.

A No 10 spokesman said: “The prime minister was appalled at the sentencing of these men.

“He has been following the case closely and has asked ministers to do everything in their power to try to reunite them with their families as soon as we can.

“We completely condemn the sham sentencing of these men to death. There’s no justification at all for this breach of the protection they’re entitled to.”

Ms Truss said she discussed “efforts to secure the release of prisoners of war held by Russian proxies” during her call with Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs.

“The judgment against them is an egregious breach of the Geneva Convention,” she added.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov defended the convictions as being “guided by the laws of the Donetsk People’s Republic”, the breakaway state controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.