{"id":416,"date":"2025-03-05T14:01:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T15:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/?p=416"},"modified":"2025-03-11T23:05:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T23:05:43","slug":"russia-sentences-british-prisoner-of-war-to-19-years-in-hellhole-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/05\/russia-sentences-british-prisoner-of-war-to-19-years-in-hellhole-prison\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia sentences British prisoner of war to 19 years in hellhole prison"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T46S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/03\/05\/14\/95868773-0-image-a-4_1741184494193.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-03-05T14:21:27+0000″,”description”:”A Russian court said James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, has been jailed for 19 years after being charged with terrorist and mercenary offences and found guilty after a closed trial.nnInvestigators accused Anderson of illegally crossing into Kursk in November as part of an armed group that committed unspecified ‘criminal acts against civilians’.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/03\/05\/3979790380480152930\/480x270_MP4_3979790380480152930.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480}<\/p>\n

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class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(‘metro-video-player–related-videos-loaded’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A Russian court has sentenced British soldier James Scott Rhys Anderson to 19 years for \u2018illegally invading\u2019 the Kursk region of <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/russia\/\">Russia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 22-year-old from Banbury will spend five years in prison and the rest of his sentence in an unidentified maximum security penal colony.<\/p>\n<p>Anderson was arrested by Russian authorities late last year, after travelling from <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">London<\/a> Luton to <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/poland\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">Poland<\/a>, then entering Ukraine to join the fight against Russia.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at court previously, he said: \u2018All the time when I\u2019m in my cell, I\u2019m always thinking about how my mum and dad said: \u201dDon\u2019t go back, don\u2019t go back\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Anderson\u2019s father, Scott Anderson, 41, previously said he worried his son would be tortured.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019m hoping he\u2019ll be used as a bargaining chip but my son told me they torture their prisoners and I\u2019m so frightened he\u2019ll be tortured,\u2019 he told the Mail.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"402\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22672879 lazyload\" alt=\"James Scott Rhys Anderson A British mercenary is allegedly being held by Putin's forces after being captured while he was fighting for Ukraine inside the Kursk region. The Brit was paraded in front of cameras today where he gave his name as James Scott Rhys Anderson. Anderson - or possibly Andersen - claimed he served in the British army from 2019 to 2023.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_230820651-a9fa.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Anderson was arrested last autumn by Russian forces (Picture: X)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"364\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22672876 lazyload\" alt=\"Kursk court sentences foreign mercenary of Ukrainian Armed Forces to 19 years in prison James Scott Rhys Anderson https:\/\/www.kursk.kp.ru\/daily\/27664\/5057619\/\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_242611380-5abf.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Anderson sat in a holding cell in court and spoke about how his parents warned him not to go back (Picture: Kursk.kp.ru)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A video of Anderson in court appeared to show him saying he served in the British army from 2019-2023.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Metro <\/strong>is contacting Anderson\u2019s family.<\/p>\n<p>Anderson was captured during fighting in Russia\u2019s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops staged a surprise cross-border incursion last summer. <\/p>\n<p>A Foreign Office spokesperson told <strong>Metro:<\/strong> \u2018We strongly condemn the sentencing of James Anderson, a British national, in a Russian court on false charges.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Under international law, Prisoners of War cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. We demand that Russia respect these obligations, including those under the Geneva Conventions, and stop using Prisoners of War for political and propaganda purposes.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We remain in close contact with Mr Anderson\u2019s family and are providing consular support.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Last week, three British men who gave their lives in service of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/ukraine\/\">Ukraine<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/02\/26\/brits-remembered-heart-ukraine-frontline-deaths-fight-russia-22630641\/\">were among the fallen remembered at a giant art installation in\u00a0Kyiv. \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peter Fouch\u00e9,\u00a0James Wilton and Callum Tindal-Draper were honoured at the \u2018Heart of Ukraine\u2019 in the city\u2019s Southern Railway Station. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The names of the country\u2019s fallen during the<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/02\/24\/dramatic-first-person-footage-aid-worker-running-putins-drones-22615743\/\">\u00a0full-scale attack\u00a0<\/a>launched by Russia have been displayed since the war\u2019s three-year mark on February 24. \u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22672878 lazyload\" alt=\"SUMY, UKRAINE - JANUARY 15: A driver who gave the name Yevhen sits in his vehicle, as Ukrainian Army soldiers use American Bradley Fighting Vehicles during Ukraines on-going cross-border operation into Russias Kursk region, where they have fought both Russians and an estimated contingent of 12,000 North Korean troops, on January 15, 2025 in Sumy, Ukraine. Ukrainian officers of the 4th Company, 1st Battalion, 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade say that this American military hardware has been crucial to their ability to cross into Russia last August, as well as to Ukraines border defense against Russias all-out invasion in February 2022. Senior Ukrainian commanders and officials have expressed concern that deep U.S. military and financial support will ease up or stop with the incoming Trump Administration, which has stated that it would swiftly end the three-year war. (Photo by Scott Peterson\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_236470290-6770.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Ukraine still controls parts of Kursk, a region in Russia (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"646\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22672880 lazyload\" alt=\"British ex-soldier James Scott Rhys Anderson\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_230816865-9d15.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Anderson\u2019s family have expressed worry for his safety (Picture: Family)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Some of the first names to appear on the giant beating heart were employees of the Ukrainian Railways who gave their lives, whether by saving people or by simply doing their job.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When the war between Russia and Ukraine first broke out, a teenage Queen\u2019s Guard soldier travelled to fight in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/ukraine\/?ico=auto_link_news_P1_LNK1\">Ukraine<\/a> and was arrested after landing back in London.<\/p>\n<p>The teenage soldier breached Ministry of Defence (MoD) orders, going AWOL after it was said he was \u2018bored\u2019 with the ceremonial role of his regiment.<\/p>\n<p>His departure caused major panic, with security chiefs urgently trying to intercept the teenager.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong><strong><strong>Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:webnews@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this, <\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T46S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/03\/05\/14\/95868773-0-image-a-4_1741184494193.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-03-05T14:21:27+0000″,”description”:”A Russian court said James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, has been jailed for 19 years after being charged with terrorist and mercenary offences and found guilty after a closed trial.nnInvestigators accused Anderson of illegally crossing into Kursk in November as part of an armed group that committed unspecified ‘criminal acts against civilians’.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/03\/05\/3979790380480152930\/480x270_MP4_3979790380480152930.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480} To view this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russia-ukraine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":422,"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416\/revisions\/422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}