James Scott Rhys Anderson Convicted of ‘Mercenary Activities’ and a ‘Terrorist Act’, Court Press Service Says
A British man captured by Russia while fighting for Ukraine has been sentenced to 19 years in prison, a Russian court announced.
James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, was found guilty of "mercenary activities" and a "terrorist act" following a three-day closed military trial in Kursk, according to the regional court’s press service on Wednesday.
Anderson, who was reportedly captured in November during Ukraine’s cross-border offensive in Kursk, pleaded guilty to the charges, the press service stated.
Under the terms of his sentence, Anderson will serve five years in prison before being transferred to a penal colony to complete the remainder of his term.
Footage released by the court showed Anderson nodding silently after the verdict was translated for him.
The United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office condemned the sentencing, calling the charges false.
“Under international law, prisoners of war cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities,” a spokesperson said.
“We demand that Russia respect these obligations, including those under the Geneva Conventions, and stop using prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes.”
In 2022, a court in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region sentenced two British citizens and a Moroccan to death for allegedly acting as foreign mercenaries and engaging in "terrorist" activities. The three were later released as part of a prisoner exchange mediated by Saudi Arabia.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, then-Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that over 20,000 people from 52 countries had volunteered to fight for Kyiv.
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