The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
British fighters handed death penalty by court in pro-russian region
Two British soldiers captured by Russians while fighting for Ukraine have been sentenced to death.
Downing Street said the government was “deeply concerned” about the sentences given to Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, who have been found guilty of taking action towards violent seizure of power at a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.
A No 10 spokesman said: “We have said continually that prisoners of war shouldn’t be exploited for political purposes.
“We will continue to work with the Ukrainian authorities to try to secure the release of any British nationals who were serving in the Ukrainian armed forces and who are being held as prisoners of war.”
A third man, Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, was convicted alongside them.
Russian media outlet RIA Novosti reported the three men will face a firing squad, while the Russian news agency, Interfax, said the men will be able to appeal.
It comes after the family of Mr Aslin, who also holds Ukrainian nationality, expressed his hopes that he will be returned to the UK.
The family said in a written statement on Tuesday: “We are currently working with the Ukrainian government and the Foreign Office to try to bring Aiden home.
“Aiden is a much-loved man and very much missed, and we hope that he will be released very soon.”
Mr Aslin’s MP, former Tory minister Robert Jenrick, condemned the “trumped-up charges” and said Russia had breached international law.
His comments came after footage emerged of the two men alongside Mr Brahim in what appeared to be a dock in the separatist territory’s supreme court.
Mr Jenrick told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme on Wednesday: “(Mr Aslin) is a British citizen, but who also holds Ukrainian nationality, is married to a Ukrainian, joined the Ukrainian armed forces in the normal way prior to Putin’s illegal invasion, and has been serving in the armed forces.
“He was taken prisoner by Russian forces and, in accordance with international law and the Geneva Convention, he should be being held appropriately and returned to Ukraine at the earliest possible opportunity, possibly through a prisoner exchange.
“Instead of that, Putin’s regime have chosen to put him and another British national, Shaun Pinner, on trial on trumped-up charges with no evidence whatsoever.
“This is, I’m afraid, a completely outrageous breach of international law and it should be condemned.”
He added: “What I hope happens is that a prisoner exchange occurs in the near future.”
The MP continued: “The Russian authorities have chosen to make an example out of these two British nationals and it is, I think, completely shameful.”