Is Ukraine about to have a war?
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WTF??? Bloody title is wrong too....It sounds like they have been got at, admit it or die type scenario, though asking if he would plead guilty to "AN" offence is different to "To" the offence, which maybe just poor reporting?
Title
British soldiers captured in Russia 'plead guilty to terrorism activities' (msn.com)
Title
British soldiers captured in Russia 'plead guilty to terrorism activities'
Two British soldiers captured by Russian forces have reportedly pleaded guilty to carrying out ‘terrorist activities’.Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner could face up to 20 years behind bars.
The men were detained in April while fighting in Ukraine, and have now appeared in court in the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) region.
Mr Aslin and Mr Pinner have admitted to ‘training in order to carry out terrorist activities’.
In footage shared by the Russian news outlet Ria Novosti on Wednesday, a translator asks Mr Aslin if he would ‘plead guilty’ to an offence, to which he replies: ‘Yes.’
The video then appears to show the two Brits in the dock alongside a third man, believed to be Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim.
The charge Mr Aslin faces carries a term of 15 to 20 years’ imprisonment, according to Ria Novosti.
Mr Pinner is also said to face a longer term and even the death penalty after allegedly admitting to ‘seizing power by force’.
The men were detained in April while fighting in Ukraine, and have now appeared in court in the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) region.
Mr Aslin and Mr Pinner have admitted to ‘training in order to carry out terrorist activities’.
In footage shared by the Russian news outlet Ria Novosti on Wednesday, a translator asks Mr Aslin if he would ‘plead guilty’ to an offence, to which he replies: ‘Yes.’
The video then appears to show the two Brits in the dock alongside a third man, believed to be Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim.
The charge Mr Aslin faces carries a term of 15 to 20 years’ imprisonment, according to Ria Novosti.
Mr Pinner is also said to face a longer term and even the death penalty after allegedly admitting to ‘seizing power by force’.
Mr Jenrick told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: ‘This is a British citizen, but who also holds Ukrainian nationality, is married to a Ukrainian, joined the Ukrainian armed forces in the normal way prior to Putin’s illegal invasion, and has been serving in the armed forces.
‘He was taken prisoner by Russian forces and in accordance with international law and the Geneva Convention, he should be being held appropriately and returned to Ukraine at the earliest possible opportunity, possibly through a prisoner exchange.
‘Instead of that Putin’s regime have chosen to put him and another British national, Shaun Pinner, on trial on trumped up charges, no evidence whatsoever.
‘This is, I’m afraid, a completely outrageous breach of international law and it should be condemned.’
‘He was taken prisoner by Russian forces and in accordance with international law and the Geneva Convention, he should be being held appropriately and returned to Ukraine at the earliest possible opportunity, possibly through a prisoner exchange.
‘Instead of that Putin’s regime have chosen to put him and another British national, Shaun Pinner, on trial on trumped up charges, no evidence whatsoever.
‘This is, I’m afraid, a completely outrageous breach of international law and it should be condemned.’
Last edited by NutLoose; 9th Jun 2022 at 15:13.
Quote: Mr Pinner is also said to face a longer term and even the death penalty after allegedly admitting to ‘seizing power by force’.
This is precisely what Russia has been doing for over three months.
This is precisely what Russia has been doing for over three months.
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Death sentence news
UK "deeply concerned" by sentencing of Brits by Russia-backed court, PM's spokesman (msn.com)
Of course the ones who should be brought up on capital charges are Putin and his minions.
If anybody knows (as I have not followed this story in detail):
Are/were these three men PoW's, or, were they captured as 'other than regular forces' and charged under the 'spy' category?
(And now I have to find out if the Conventions made a change since I last looked at them a couple of decades ago ... off I go).
EDIT: OK, here's what I was looking for.
Originally Posted by Convention 4
Where in occupied territory an individual protected person is detained as a spy or saboteur, or as a person under definite suspicion of activity hostile to the security of the Occupying Power, such person shall, in those cases where absolute military security so requires, be regarded as having forfeited rights of communication under the present Convention.
In each case, such persons shall nevertheless be treated with humanity and, in case of trial, shall not be deprived of the rights of fair and regular trial prescribed by the present Convention. They shall also be granted the full rights and privileges of a protected person under the present Convention at the earliest date consistent with the security of the State or Occupying Power, as the case may be.
In each case, such persons shall nevertheless be treated with humanity and, in case of trial, shall not be deprived of the rights of fair and regular trial prescribed by the present Convention. They shall also be granted the full rights and privileges of a protected person under the present Convention at the earliest date consistent with the security of the State or Occupying Power, as the case may be.
Of course the ones who should be brought up on capital charges are Putin and his minions.
Last edited by Lonewolf_50; 9th Jun 2022 at 16:40.
No, they surrendered in uniform. The DPR contention was that they were mercenaries and thus not protected. The Russian state propaganda announcement of this fact literally used a photograph of Aiden Aslin at his passing-out parade from the Ukrainian marines. It was quickly deleted...
On further review, I appear to have made a category error. They were captured by DPR (the recent start up whom the Russians formally recognized shortly before the invasion?) not the Russians per se, right?
The sadly predictable response of the Russians to their 2 Anglo/Ukrainian PoWs does give Ukr room to execute captured Wagner thugs, since they most definitely are mercenaries. But one would hope Ukr are above such behaviour, and will retain the moral high ground.
I recall the heroes of the steelworks said they would fight to the death as Russia would torture and kill them all anyway.
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i would hope what ever happens in the future that they will have all diplomatic immunity removed and will be arrested if and when they ever step out of Russian territories or territorial waters and will prosecuted for war crimes. And any monies, lands, homes, ships, cars, art etc for themselves and their families will be seized and sold for reparations to Ukraine.
Whilst the 'death sentence' was certainly approved in Moscow, it is probably intended as a negotiating stance. Much like their foreign policy, it is aimed at manufacturing a crisis out of thin air and then seeking a 'compromise' solution. Awful situation for them to be in though.
Whilst the 'death sentence' was certainly approved in Moscow, it is probably intended as a negotiating stance. Much like their foreign policy, it is aimed at manufacturing a crisis out of thin air and then seeking a 'compromise' solution. Awful situation for them to be in though.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Germany's M270 are identical to the Italian and French M270... Here are photos of Italian and French M270 firing GMLRS missiles.
If @OlafScholz's new excuse is that German M270 can't fire GMLRS rockets, then why did Germany buy 2,718 GMRLS rockets????????????
If @OlafScholz's new excuse is that German M270 can't fire GMLRS rockets, then why did Germany buy 2,718 GMRLS rockets????????????
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He said they couldn’t fire the U.K. or US weapons because of software, I am pretty sure it wouldn’t take months to simply upload the software from either countries into the system. I believe Ukraine said they would take them as is and update later as they could get around the ammo issues.
Ukrainian operated French Caesar’s in operation doing a quick shoot and scoot to avoid counter artillery strikes, shame no one bothered to tell the film crew that standing at the point of firing and filming them rapidly departing wasn’t the smartest of moves
Ukrainian operated French Caesar’s in operation doing a quick shoot and scoot to avoid counter artillery strikes, shame no one bothered to tell the film crew that standing at the point of firing and filming them rapidly departing wasn’t the smartest of moves
Russia is going to take generations to wash away the putrid stink of their Tsar's genocide and the majority support for beating up their neighbors, but as we have seen before business and politicians have short memories, (remember Pol Pot? and his side kick, the current and long running boss of C'ya?)
Last edited by fdr; 10th Jun 2022 at 06:24.
Art 47. Mercenaries
- A mercenary shall not have the right to be a combatant or a prisoner of war.
- A mercenary is any person who:
- (a) is especially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict;
- (b) does, in fact, take a direct part in the hostilities;
- (c) is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party;
- (d) is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict;
- (e) is not a member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict; and
- (f) has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.
As with anything coming out of Russia, from Lada Niva's to T-72's, there seems to be some faulty headwork in the russin to a judgement. If they toast these 3, the judges and the jury would be committing another crime to add to the myriad of crimes that the despotic kingdom of Rus comes up with daily. I sure hope that the world has a memory over Russia this time round, although come to think of it, the reason NATO was formed in 1949 was because a lot of people knew what the USSR was, and Count Vlad has sent the remnants of the former CIS back towards it's days of glory in the USSR mold, where mould was a form of food, as lord knows the system didn't work then either.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Kyiv Independent: General Staff: Russian unit in Kharkiv region refuses to fight.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces report early on June 10 that all members of Russia’s motorized infantry unit of the First Army Corps refused to fight after suffering heavy losses in Kharkiv Oblast.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces report early on June 10 that all members of Russia’s motorized infantry unit of the First Army Corps refused to fight after suffering heavy losses in Kharkiv Oblast.
As others have noted, if I was a foreign fighter, even one who'd been in Ukraine for years, I'd suffer no illusions regarding my fate were I captured. This is far from a 'normal' war with the usual rules of play. In fact I'd rig an S-vest it it looked like that may be a possibility, take as many of b*stards with me.