Russian instrumentality enforcement authorities said Monday that a British antheral captured warring alongside Ukrainian forces successful the southwestern Kursk portion faces charges of "terrorism" and acting arsenic a "mercenary."
James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, was captured successful November portion warring with Ukrainian forces successful Kursk. He is being held successful custody successful Russia.
Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes large crimes, said it completed its probe and determined that Anderson was "directly progressive successful an equipped struggle connected Russian territory for worldly gain."
He was charged with "committing a violent act" arsenic portion of an organized radical causing "significant spot damage" and operating arsenic a mercenary successful an equipped conflict.
The archetypal complaint carries a situation condemnation of up to 20 years, the 2nd an further 15 years.
Investigators accused Anderson of illegally crossing the borderline into Russia portion equipped and "committed transgression acts against civilians," causing "significant harm to property" and "destabilizing the activities of the authorities."
Anderson has spoken successful respective videos filmed by Russian officials aft helium was taken captive precocious past year, appearing with his hands tied and successful a situation azygous with his caput shaved.
In a video released by pro-Kremlin Telegram channels successful November, helium said helium went to combat for Ukraine's International Legion aft being sacked from the British army. He told Russia's Izvestia paper helium was paid $400 a period and astir $60 a time portion connected combat missions.
Moscow typically considers foreigners traveling to combat successful Ukraine arsenic "mercenaries." This enables the authorities to prosecute them nether its transgression codification alternatively than treating them arsenic captured prisoners of warfare with protections and rights nether the Geneva Convention.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy said successful November that his authorities would connection Anderson "all the enactment that we can."
In 2022, a tribunal successful Russian-occupied eastbound Ukraine sentenced 2 British fighters to decease for warring for Ukraine, though they were aboriginal released successful an exchange.
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