Foreign Ministry calls ‘judicial trial’ of Ukraine Army’s foreign fighters in occupied areas worthless

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko in a commentary to Ukrinform.

In his words, all foreigners fighting on the Ukrainian territory as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Hence, according to the international humanitarian law, they have a legal status of combatants.

“All servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are taken prisoner by the enemy, enjoy the rights of the prisoners of war. It is prohibited for the enemy to abuse, intimidate or treat them inhumanly,” Nikolenko said.

In his words, such trials place the interests of propaganda above the law and morality and undermine the mechanisms of bringing servicemen back home.

“The Ukrainian government will continue to make every effort to release all defenders of Ukraine,” Nikolenko added.

A reminder that the so-called ‘court’ of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic sentenced three foreign citizens, who took part in hostilities as part of the Ukrainian Army, to death. 

mk