Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, have been charged as mercenaries, another Russian news agency reported. They were arrested in Mariupol in April during a fierce battle for control of the port city before appearing in court in the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). It is understood that they have admitted “training to carry out terrorist activities”. A third man, Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, has also been sentenced to death. The punishments were imposed by the Supreme Court of the GDR, RIA reported. The men were found guilty of “wage-making activities and committing acts aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order of the GDR,” the Interfax news agency quoted a court official as saying. Image: (LR) Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Saudun Brahim The Russian military has argued that those it considers to be foreign mercenaries fighting for Ukraine are not fighters. A long prison sentence is the best they should hope for if arrested, Moscow said. They are likely to face an execution sentence if the sentence is carried out. The three are the first foreign fighters to be convicted by Russian-backed separatists and have one month to appeal. They will do it, their lawyer said. Another British fighter captured by pro-Russian forces, Andrew Hill, 35, is awaiting trial. Foreign Minister Liz Tras said she “absolutely condemns” the condemnation, calling it a “false judgment with absolutely no legitimacy”. She wrote on Twitter: “They are prisoners of war. We continue to do everything we can to support them.” Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:49 Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner speak to Sky News before being arrested A spokesman for the prime minister said Mr Aslin and Mr Piner “should not be prosecuted”. He commented: “Obviously we are deeply concerned about this. “We have always said that prisoners of war should not be exploited for political purposes. “You will know that under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are entitled to combat immunity and should not be prosecuted for engaging in hostilities. “In this way, we will continue to work with the Ukrainian authorities to ensure the release of all British nationals who have served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and are being held as prisoners of war.” Footage previously shared by RIA on social media showed a translator asking Mr. Ashlin if he would plead guilty to a crime, to which he replied: “Yes.” In the video, the two Britons stand in the Supreme Court seat next to Mr Brahim. Mr Piner allegedly acknowledged “the seizure of power by force”. The 48-year-old was filmed in April saying he had been arrested while defending Mariupol, his adopted city. His family then stressed that “he was not a volunteer or a mercenary, but was officially serving in the Ukrainian army.” He told Sky News a few months ago that he was on his fourth tour of Ukraine after serving in the British Army for nine years, had lived in the country since 2018 and has a Ukrainian wife. Image: Mr Pinner’s family shares photo of 48-year-old British Army soldier Mr Ashlin’s family said on Tuesday that it was a “very sensitive and emotional moment” and that they were working with the Ukrainian government and the British Foreign Office to try to secure the 28-year-old’s release. “Eden is a very dear man and he misses him very much, and we hope he will be released very soon,” they said in a statement. The former caregiver joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a Marine in 2018, has applied for citizenship and has a Ukrainian fiancée. Former Conservative Prime Minister Robert Genrik has condemned what he called “false accusations” against the British couple, accusing Russia of “utterly outrageous violations of international law”. Referring to Mr Ashlin, Mr Genrik told the BBC: “He is a British citizen but also a Ukrainian national, who joined the Ukrainian armed forces in a normal way before Putin’s illegal invasion (Vladimir) and served in the armed forces. “He was arrested by Russian forces and in accordance with international law and the Geneva Convention, he should be properly detained and returned to Ukraine as soon as possible, possibly through an exchange of detainees.”
