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Russia threatens foreign fighters in Ukraine: "This is how we will treat them"

 

Russia threatens foreign fighters in Ukraine: "This is how we will treat them"

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that what it described as "Western mercenaries" in Ukraine will be deprived of the treatment of prisoners of war.


The Russian Defense Ministry stated in a press briefing that "Western mercenaries" who arrive to fight in Ukraine will not have the right to be treated as prisoners of war.


She said that all attacks by foreign "mercenaries" on Russian forces in Ukraine are carried out using weapons supplied by the West.


Prisoner of war status applies in the case of armed conflict between states, who are usually members of the armed forces of one of the parties to the conflict who have fallen into the hands of the enemy.


The rights of prisoners of war were regulated by the Third Geneva Convention of 1949, and mainly stipulates that prisoners of war shall not be punished for their direct participation in hostilities, and their detention shall not be a form of punishment, but only aims to prevent their continued participation in the conflict.


This means that they must be released and repatriated without delay immediately after the end of hostilities.

The exclusion of foreign fighters in Ukraine from the status of "prisoners of war" means that they will not be released once the ceasefire and hostilities have ended, and their trial will take place in accordance with Russian law.


And the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, had opened the way for foreigners to join his country's forces, which had been facing the Russian invasion for more than a week, as this was aimed at protecting global security.


Kyiv reported that 1,000 foreign fighters had submitted requests to fight in Ukraine against Russia.


With the outbreak of war on February 24, calls were raised in Ukraine for foreigners to join its forces and participate in the fighting.


Experts warn of the risks involved in bringing foreign militants to Ukraine, especially when they return to their country with extremely dangerous weapons such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.


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