Three foreigners who fought for Ukraine sentenced to death by firing squad
- Three fighters accused of acting as mercenaries for Kyiv were found guilty by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic
- The court proceedings were denounced by Ukraine and the West as a sham and a violation of the rules of war
Ukraine and the West have denounced a pro-Moscow court that sentenced two British citizens and a Moroccan to death for fighting for Ukraine, calling the proceedings a sham and a violation of the rules of war.
The court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in Ukraine found the three fighters guilty of seeking the violent overthrow of power, an offence punishable by death in the unrecognised eastern republic. The men were also convicted of mercenary activities and terrorism.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Thursday reported that the defendants – identified as Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Brahim Saadoun – will face a firing squad. They have a month to appeal.
The separatist side argued that the three were “mercenaries” not entitled to the usual protections accorded prisoners of war. They are the first foreign fighters sentenced by Ukraine’s Russian-backed rebels.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko condemned the proceedings as legally invalid, saying: “Such show trials put the interests of propaganda above the law and morality”.
He said that all foreign citizens fighting as part of Ukraine’s armed forces should be considered Ukrainian military personnel and protected as such.