A Russian court has sentenced British national James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, to 19 years in prison after convicting him of “mercenary activities” and a “terrorist act.” Anderson was captured by Russian forces in November 2024 while participating in Ukraine’s cross-border offensive in the Kursk region. He pled guilty during a closed military trial in Kursk, lasting three days.

Anderson’s sentence mandates that he serve five years in prison before being transferred to a penal colony to complete the remainder of his term. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office condemned the ruling, calling the charges false. They emphasized that under international law, prisoners of war cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. The UK government demanded Russia adhere to its obligations under the Geneva Conventions and cease using prisoners of war for political purposes.

This is not the first time foreign fighters have been sentenced in Russian-occupied regions, as in 2022, a court in Donetsk sentenced three men, including two Britons, to death for similar charges, though they were later released in a prisoner swap facilitated by Saudi Arabia.