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Interview: Simon Beaumont, 6PR Mornings
THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CANNING
TRANSCRIPT
INTERVIEW WITH SIMON BEAUMONT, 6PR MORNINGS
WEDNESDAY 15 JANUARY 2025
Topics: Oscar Jenkins, Russia, Ukraine
E&OE…
SIMON BEAUMONT: Joining me on Perth today, right now is Andrew Hastie, the Shadow Defence Minister, of course formerly a member of the SAS Regiment, a West Australian Member of Parliament. Andrew, good morning.
ANDREW HASTIE: Good morning, Simon.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Just some technicalities if I can, what would you consider his status? He’s an Australian citizen, who has chosen who has travel to the Ukraine and fight on the Ukrainian side against the Russian troops. How would you describe his status in that, given he made the choice to go there?
ANDREW HASTIE: It's a good question, Simon, it's a legal question, and I don't have the expertise to answer it.
Suffice to say he's a prisoner of war, and—moreover—he was captured. Taken alive.
He had surrendered, so he—under the rules of war—should be treated as a captive. And so, if there's reports that he has been executed, well that's absolutely reprehensible, as the Prime Minister says.
And that's why the Government and the Opposition are calling on the Russian Government to confirm Oscar Jenkins's status.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Andrew, if, and again, technical and by definition, I'm sure my listeners, our listeners here, will be asking the same question, if you go to fight in a foreign theatre of war as a paid contractor or a mercenary, we're not completely sure of his status, does that change his status as a prisoner of war?
ANDREW HASTIE: I don't think it does. I think in the end of the day, at the end of the day, if you're taken as a captive on the battlefield, it's wrong to execute—it's wrong to execute people.
You shouldn't be executing anyone on the battlefield. And that's what it sounds like what's happened to Oscar Jenkins, and that's why the Russian government needs to confirm his status.
So, I take the point. There are different legal definitions, but—at the end of the day—he's an Australian citizen.
Yes, he was a participant in the war. He went over to fight for the Ukrainian forces, but he was taken alive, and he was a prisoner held by the Russians, and it's their duty to look after him under the Geneva Convention.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Is it possible, and again, this is anecdotal, but there are some, I suppose, rumours, anecdotes, around that the Russian troops don't like foreign fighters. They particularly don't like them and are particularly hard on them.
ANDREW HASTIE: I'm sure that's the case. I'm sure foreign fighters have been treated very badly by the Russians, which is why we, we have fears for Oscar Jenkins's safety and life at the moment. And that's why we're so keen to hear his status from the Russian government.
Look—war is a very brutal thing. People do all sorts of evil things, and that's why, you know, it's a huge risk to go and fight for the Ukrainians.
Nonetheless, he's an Australian citizen, and he was captured by the Russians, and he should be treated as a prisoner of war.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Andrew, I'm an Australian citizen. You're an Australian citizen; we care about this place where we live and our status in the world. Will the Russians even remotely care what the Prime Minister or Andrew Hastie or the Australian population think?
ANDREW HASTIE: Well, I don't think Putin cares about public opinion, world public opinion, for that matter, but—nonetheless—the government does have leverage, and so we're calling on the government to respond in the strongest possible terms.
And to be clear for your listeners, that would mean expelling the Russian ambassador from Australia and recalling ours from Moscow, and so we can escalate as required—if indeed, Oscar Jenkins has been executed by Russian forces.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Right, Andrew, thanks so much for your time today. I know you're busy. We appreciate it.
ANDREW HASTIE: No worries, Simon.
SIMON BEAUMONT: Thank you. Andrew Hastie, Shadow Defence Minister, of course, a former member of the SAS.
[ENDS]
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