Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March to Question 36204 on James Scott Rhys Anderson, what discussions he has had with (a) the Russian ambassador to the UK and (b) senior Russian officials on the imprisonment of James Anderson.

The Ukrainian authorities have confirmed British national James Anderson was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, meaning he holds Prisoner of War (PoW) status. Ukraine holds responsibility for engagement on any members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who are captured as PoWs, regardless of their nationality. We strongly condemn the sentencing of Mr. Anderson in a Russian court on false charges. Under international law, PoWs cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. We demand that Russia respect its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, including that PoWs are treated humanely, and condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes. The UK regularly raises Mr Anderson's case with our Ukrainian partners. We recently raised Mr Anderson's case with the Russian Ambassador, making it clear that Mr. Anderson must be treated as a PoW, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. We remain in close contact with Mr Anderson's family and are providing consular support.