US terms death sentence handed to foreign nationals by pro-Russian court as 'sham trial'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday slammed the death sentence verdict by a pro-Russian court for three foreign nationals as a "sham" judgement. Taking to Twitter, the top US diplomat expressed "grave concern" over the "unlawful trial" of two British nationals and one Moroccan nation fighting in the territorial defence units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In a stern warning, Blinken also called on Russia and its "proxies" to adhere to the international order, including human rights and the protection of prisoners of war.

Blinken's remarks came after two Britons- Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner, and a Moroccan student Saaudun Brahim were convicted of being "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order" in the region amid Russia's war against Ukraine. The trio was handed the death sentence by the separatist leadership in the Russia-occupied Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) region on June 9, within two days of the trial. While the two British citizens surrendered during the Russian siege of Mariupol in April, Brahim was arrested in March from Volnovakha.

UK calls death sentence verdict 'sham judgement'

British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, on Thursday also condemned the sentencing saying that the court's judgement was a "sham." In a Twitter post, Truss wrote: "I utterly condemn the sentencing of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. They are prisoners of war. This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy. My thoughts are with the families. We continue to do everything we can to support them."

The top British diplomat later said that she will hold talks with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba over the unjust sentencing of the civilian soldiers, BBC reported. The report said that both British citizens were already staying in Ukraine when the Russian war began on February 24. In response, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry also termed the Russian-inclined verdict "miserable." In a statement, Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova said that Kyiv will take all measures to release the defenders of the country.

Human rights watchdog, Amnesty International also called the sentencing a "blatant violation of international humanitarian law on many counts." The organisation's deputy director for east Ukraine and Central Asia, Denis Krivosheyev, stated that the "only exception is prosecution for alleged war crimes, in which case there must be sufficient admissible evidence, and fair trial standards must be ensured," RFERL quoted.

(Image: AP)