A Russian court docket sentenced James Scott Rhys Anderson, a British volunteer who was preventing for Ukraine in Russia's Kursk Oblast, to 19 years in jail, unbiased outlet Mediazona reported on March 5.
Footage of Anderson, 22, in Russian captivity emerged in November 2024. Russian authorities later confirmed that the British nationwide was of their custody.
The court docket sentenced Anderson on "terrorism" and "mercenarism" costs. Russia typically portrays international volunteers preventing for Ukraine as "mercenaries" and claims they aren’t entitled to safety as prisoners of warfare.
The British volunteer is to spend the primary 5 years in jail and the remainder of the time period in a high-security penal colony.
The court docket thought-about Anderson's case in a closed session. A soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who served in the identical unit because the U.Ok. nationwide was allegedly introduced in as a witness. Anderson pleaded responsible, in response to the court docket.
It’s unclear whether or not the confession was compelled, as Ukrainian officers and human rights teams pointed to widespread instances of abuse and torture of Ukrainian prisoners of warfare (POW) and captive civilians by Russia.
Russia accused Anderson of "illegally crossing the border" into Kursk Oblast in mid-November in 2024 and committing "legal actions in opposition to civilians." The claims couldn’t be verified, and Moscow has sentenced various Ukrainian POWs and volunteer fighters on related costs with out offering proof.
Two different Brits, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, have been captured by Russian forces in Mariupol in 2022 and sentenced to demise earlier than being launched in a prisoner change.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York