Russia jails UK man for 19 years for preventing for Ukraine – INA NEWS

A British man who was captured by Russia whereas preventing for Ukraine has been sentenced to 19 years in jail, a Russian court docket has mentioned.

James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, was convicted of “mercenary actions” and a “terrorist act” after a three-day closed navy trial in Kursk, the court docket press service for the area mentioned on Wednesday.

Anderson, who was reportedly captured in November whereas taking part in Ukraine’s cross-border offensive in Kursk, pleaded responsible to the fees in opposition to him, the press service mentioned.

Underneath the phrases of his sentence, Anderson will spend 5 years in jail earlier than being transferred to a penal colony to serve out the rest of his time period, in line with the press service.

Footage launched by the court docket confirmed Anderson nodding silently after the ruling was translated for him.

The UK’s Overseas and Commonwealth Workplace condemned Anderson’s sentence on what it described as false costs.

“Underneath worldwide regulation, prisoners of warfare can’t be prosecuted for taking part in hostilities,” a spokesperson mentioned.

“We demand that Russia respect these obligations, together with these beneath the Geneva Conventions, and cease utilizing prisoners of warfare for political and propaganda functions.”

In 2022, a court docket within the Russian-occupied Donetsk area sentenced two British residents and a Moroccan to loss of life for appearing as international mercenaries and partaking in “terrorist” actions.

The three males had been later launched as a part of a prisoner alternate brokered by Saudi Arabia.

Talking shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, then-Ukrainian Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba mentioned greater than 20,000 individuals from 52 nations had volunteered to battle for Kyiv.