The family of a British fighter captured in Ukraine are demanding pro-Russian forces 'treat him with respect' after he was sentenced to death.
Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were captured while battling Kremlin troops in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
Harrowing footage showed the moment the pair were sentenced to death by the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) today.
Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim was also handed a death sentence, with all three men accused of acting as mercenaries by the pro-Russian rebel state in eastern Ukraine.
However, Mr Aslin and Mr Pinner's families insisted they were prisoners of war and deserved to be treated as such.
Foreign Secretary Lizz Truss called the death sentence a "sham judgement with absolutely no legitimacy".
Mr Pinner stared at the ground as the execution verdict was announced, while Mr Aslin and Mr Brahim looked around the courtroom.
Mr Aslin is known to hope that his cooperation with the investigation will lead to leniency.
But he acknowledged ahead of the final hearing that a video he made might be his last.
He made clear he knew the death penalty was at stake.
Russian media outlet RIA Novosti reported that the three are set to face a firing squad.
The judge Alexander Nikulin said: "The verdict can be appealed to the Supreme Court of the DPR through the chamber of appeal within one month from the verdict being announced.”
There was also a right to appeal for a pardon, he said.
The Kremlin is expected to demand that Britain must appeal directly to the rebel authorities in Donetsk - which the UK does not recognise.
Russia itself does not administer the death penalty in judicial cases.
Nor does Ukraine - on the territory of which the DPR exists.
Russia has already sought to embarrass Britain into recognising the DPR, and state TV has claimed the death penalty verdict will pose huge problems for Boris Johnson.
The political leader of the DPR made clear the trial was a sham by saying ahead of the main hearings that “the crimes they committed” were “monstrous”, indicating no other verdict than guilty was possible.
“The evidence base has been fully assembled," he said.
“The crimes they committed are monstrous."
Russian state TV demanded that they should not be forgiven and sent home.
It is understood Mr Aslin's mum Ang Wood found out about the draconian sentence while watching the TV news at the family home in Newark, Notts.
The soldier's family said: "We've heard the news from Donetsk and need some time to take everything in.
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"We love Aiden with all our hearts. He and Shaun, as members of Ukrainian armed forces, should be treated with respect just like any other prisoners of war.
"They are not, and never were, mercenaries.
"We hope that this sentence will be overturned and beseech the government's of the UK and Ukraine to do everything in their power to have them returned to us safely, and soon.
"We can only imagine what they are going through right now.
"This is a very upsetting development and we ask that our privacy is respected at this time."
