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London vows to cooperate with Kiev to secure release of British nationals convicted in DPR

The UK will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to try and secure the release of any British national who was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pointed out

LONDON, June 9. /TASS/. London is deeply concerned by the death sentence handed to two British nationals in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and will continue to work with the Ukrainian authorities to secure their release, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday.

"We're obviously deeply concerned by this. We've said continually that prisoners of war shouldn't be exploited for political purposes," the spokesman said, according to Reuters.

"Under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are entitled to combatant immunity, and they should not be prosecuted for participation in hostilities. So we will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to try and secure the release of any British national who was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and who are being held as prisoners of war," the spokesman added, commenting on the conviction of Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin who fought on Ukraine’s side and were captured in the city of Mariupol.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also condemned the sentence. "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," she wrote on Twitter.

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Ukraine United Kingdom

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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