It was on Thursday last week that the first information came that two American veterans had been captured by Russian forces during fighting outside the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine. According to the American newspaper The Telegraph, the men are the first American citizens captured during the war.
The White House initially declined to confirm the information, but later said it was investigating. After the Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday confirmed that the Americans had been captured and announced that the death penalty could not be ruled out, the White House made a statement:
“It is appalling that a Russian government official even suggests the death penalty for US citizens in Ukraine,” spokesman John Kirby told Reuters.
No details on their whereabouts
According to US State Department spokesman Ned Price, Russian authorities have not provided the United States with details of the whereabouts of the two Americans. He also says that the United States is taking every opportunity to find out more and to support the families of the missing Americans.
Three soldiers were sentenced to death
Recently, two British and a Moroccan soldier were sentenced to death in what has been described as a “mock trial” in the so-called People’s Republic of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Aisling Reidy, senior legal adviser at Human rights watch, then commented on the verdict to SVT.
– Based on what has been reported, the men have been deprived of the right to a fair trial. It is illegal under international humanitarian law, and a potential war crime that falls under the Tribunal of The Hague. Authorities in the UK or Morocco can also bring charges against those responsible on behalf of their citizens, she told SVT.