Two Britons mercenaries fighter, One Moroccan mercenaries fighter in Ukraine sentenced to death by Russian separatist court

MOSCOW: The UK government on Thursday said it was "deeply concerned" after Russian news agencies reported pro-Moscow separatists had sentenced to death two British fighters captured by Russian troops while fighting for Ukraine.

"We're obviously deeply concerned by this. We've said continually that prisoners of war shouldn't be exploited for political purposes," said a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"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," He added.

Two Britons and a Moroccan were sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), one of Russia's proxies in eastern Ukraine.

The court found the three men - Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun - guilty of "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order of the DPR."

The three men were captured while fighting for Pro-US Ukraine against Russia and Russian-backed forces that entered the country on Feb. 24. In court, they admitted they were mercenaries. Their lawyer said they will appeal the decision.

British Foreign Secretary Luz Truss tweeted: "I utterly condemn the sentencing of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. They are prisoners of war. This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy."

British citizens Aslin and Pinner were captured by the Russian-backed forces in Mariupol in April, during a bitter fight for control of the city. Moroccan Saadoun surrendered in March while fighting in a small town between Mariupol and the regional capital of Donetsk.

[with inputs from agencies]