Within three days, the court in the pro-Russian breakaway region of Donetsk ruled that Britons Aidan Aslin and Shaun Pinner and Moroccan Saaudun Brahim would be sentenced to death. These three men were the first foreign soldiers to be tried, after being captured in Mariupol, a city they were trying to defend together with the Ukrainian army. Or at least it is the first time Moscow announces the trial of foreign soldierssince last week, Russia has admitted that “hundreds” of foreign soldiers have been killed since the start of the war on February 24.

Does Russia use, especially the two British soldiers, to win trump cards and advance the prisoner troop? As The Telegraph newspaper points out, Ukraine has an element that directly touches Vladimir Putin and that may be the key to freeing the two Britons: the oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk. The Russian president is the godfather of the daughter of the pro-Russian Ukrainian Medvedchuk. And Putin also wanted, by the way, this man to be in Zelensky’s place.

From friendship with Putin to traitor status. Five things that make Viktor Medvedchuk Zelensky public enemy number 1

Medvedchuk has been in prison since April, when he was captured by Ukrainian troops, and when Russia manages to get its hands on the soldiers of the Azov battalion, who were inside the Azovstal factory, he announced that I was studying a way to do a prisoner exchange.

Movements from Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom

This opportunity arises now for Medvedchuk to be freed from the Ukrainian forces and Russia will already be preparing the ground. One of the two British soldiers, Aidan Aslin, 28, spoke with a Russian televisionwhere he appeared handcuffed and with a speech denouncing that it had been prepared:

If Boris Johnson really cares about British citizens, then he will help put pressure on Zelensky to do the right thing and bring Viktor back to his family and bring us back to our families.”

This statement directly mentioned Medvedchuk and then put this hypothesis on the table. And the British Government has already understood this, has already spoken out and is already making the necessary moves. A spokesman for the UK Prime Minister said, by the way, this Friday that sentencing the two British soldiers to death is nothing more than a “farce”. “There is absolutely no justification for violating the protection that they are entitled to.”

British captured by Russians sentenced to death in Donetsk

Boris will also have given orders to his ministers to do everything possible and everything in their power to release the two soldiers from the death penalty.

Following the logic of the release of the two Britons, Liz Truss, British Foreign Minister, spoke with her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, to try to find a solution.

Liz Truss not only highlighted that no room for judgment, as it took place in the court of pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk, as he also mentioned that the two men are “prisoners of war” and not mercenaries, as defined by Moscow. “The trial against them is a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention,” the minister wrote on Twitter.

I spoke with Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba to discuss efforts to secure the release of prisoners of war held by Russian representatives. The trial against him is a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention.

The UK continues to back Ukraine against Putin’s barbaric invasion. pic.twitter.com/dykzap4ha6

– Liz Truss (@trussliz) June 10, 2022

In addition to the talks between ministers, Ukraine reacted as soon as the British soldier appeared on Russian television asking the British government for help and talking about the Russian oligarch. The same day, and in response, The Ukrainian secret services released a video showing Medvedchuk asking Putin to allow the exchange of soldiers and civilians from the port city of Mariupol.

Although they are not allowed to speak, the two Britons can still ask for forgiveness. According to one of his lawyers, Pavel Kosovam, there is a high probability that this will happen, which could, in fact, lead to a prisoner exchange. the damned still you have one month to appeal the decision.

UN speaks of ‘war crime’ and Russia shies away from responsibilities

The case did not go unnoticed by the United Nations Organization (UN) and even the High Commissioner for Human Rights defended that the death sentence of foreign combatants constitutes a “war crime”. And he warned of the non-compliance of the judicial system “of these self-proclaimed republics”, by not complying with the guarantees of a trial drawn up by the justice system.

Death sentences for foreign fighters in Ukraine are a ‘war crime,’ says UN

At a press conference in Geneva, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesman for the High Commission, said that “all these men are part of the Ukrainian armed forces. In this case, should not be considered mercenaries“.

In addition to the fact that the UN, Ukraine and, of course, the United Kingdom have already announced a reaction to the conviction of the two Britons, Germany also criticized Russia’s position. The death penalty shows the “total disrespect of Russia by the basic principles of international humanitarian law,” said one of the German government spokesmen.

However, even in the face of criticism from European countries, Russia does not recognize any illegitimacy regarding the contours of the trial of foreign soldiers in Donetsk and removed responsibility in the process. The few words came from Sergei LavrovRussian Foreign Minister: “I prefer not to hinder the functioning of the judicial system and the authorities of the Donetsk People’s Republic.”

Ukrainians, Russians and even separatists can try prisoners of war while it lasts. “The question is, is it wise to do so?”