July 18 () –
John Harding, a British citizen captured in Ukraine as part of the fighting in the Donetsk region (east), has asked the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, for help and has warned that he could be sentenced to death like two other citizens of United Kingdom accused of being “mercenaries”.
Harding has appeared in a video in which he is interviewed by a Russian journalist and in which he confirms that he was part of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion and has been fighting in the Donbas region since 2018. The self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk are located in this region. , scene of an armed conflict since 2014.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of these republics in February and days later announced the start of the invasion of Ukraine, unleashed on February 24 and which to date has left thousands dead and nearly nine million displaced.
The man, originally from the city of Sunderland, would have been captured in May during the seizure of the Azovstal steel mill, located in Mariúpol (southeast), after several weeks of offensive and siege against the city by Russian forces and militias. of the People’s Republic of Donetsk, according to the British television network BBC.
Harding himself had previously stated in statements to the BBC that he had traveled to Ukraine to use his knowledge as a military doctor, while he had told his friends that he was fighting as part of the National Guard. Relatives of Harding have confirmed that it is indeed he who appears in the video.
For his part, a spokesman for the British Foreign Office has indicated that he is “supporting” the family and has shown his “concern” about the arrest. “We condemn the exploitation of detainees for political purposes and we have transferred this to Russia. We are in constant contact with the Government of Ukraine on these cases and we fully support Ukraine in its efforts to achieve their release”, he has settled.
The recording was released a few days after the death of British citizen Paul Urey, who was in the custody of pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk. Likewise, the British Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, captured in Mariúpol, were sentenced to death in June along with the Moroccan Sadun Brahim for allegedly being “mercenaries” hired by Ukraine.
According to Russian authorities, nearly 7,000 foreigners from more than 60 countries have joined Ukrainian forces to take part in the conflict since it began in late February, almost five months ago.
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