A military court handed stiff prison terms to 19 Ukrainians, three nationals from Belarus and two Russians accused of serving as mercenaries for ousted leader Moamer Kadhafi in Libya’s conflict last year. One of the Russians, judged to have been the coordinator, was condemned to life imprisonment while the others were sentenced to 10 years’ hard labour. The 24 men, who all denied the charges and insisted they were in Libya to work in its oil sector, were accused of having primed ground-to-air missile batteries to target NATO warplanes supporting the revolt against Kadhafi. Russia expressed “indignation” at the sentencing. “Moscow received this unfair and unjustified decision with bewilderment and indignation,” the foreign ministry said. It said Russia would be working with Ukraine and Belarus to make sure “this tendentious sentence” is reviewed. The ambassadors of Ukraine and Belarus were in court for the verdict and said the men would appeal.
