While Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continued, the trial of 2 British and 1 Moroccan mercenaries, who surrendered to Russian forces in the city of Mariupol on 12 March, started yesterday while Russia was fighting on the side of Ukraine. In the case in the Donetsk People’s Republic, where pro-Russian separatists are located, the Donetsk Prosecutor accused the 3 mercenaries of “seizing power by force, engaging in terrorist activities and destroying the country” according to article 34 and article 323 of the Donetsk People’s Republic Criminal Code. demanded the death penalty for British nationals Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin, and Moroccan nationals Saadun Brahim.
They were sentenced to death
After the 3 defendants who partially admitted their crimes in the first hearing yesterday, were given the right to speak again, the court sentenced 3 mercenary soldiers to death.
It was stated that after the sentences of the mercenaries were read to his face, he could appeal the sentence in question within 1 month. The defendants said they will appeal the decision. With the announced decision, Russia sentenced the first mercenary group to the death penalty.
Under the so-called laws in the region, prisoners have one month to appeal, those sentenced to death are executed.
ENGLAND ANNOUNCED IT WILL ACT
Earlier, Britain announced that it would make efforts to protect the soldiers in case the soldiers were given the death penalty.
British citizens Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin, and Moroccan citizens Saadun Brahim, who surrendered to Russian troops on March 12, in Mariopol, where Russia had the most difficulty, were brought before the Donetsk People’s Republic court yesterday.
EXPLANATION FROM ENGLAND
The UK government said it was “deeply concerned” over the death sentences given to British fighters in the court in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, controlled by pro-Russian separatists.
The Spokesperson of the Prime Ministry made a statement regarding the death sentences given to 28-year-old British Aiden Aslin and 48-year-old Shaun Pinner, who were caught fighting for Ukraine. “We are clearly deeply concerned about this. We have repeatedly said that prisoners of war should not be used for political purposes,” the spokesperson said. said.
Emphasizing that prisoners of war have the right to immunity from combatants in accordance with the Geneva Convention and that they should not be prosecuted for participating in conflicts, the spokesperson said, “For this reason, we will continue to work with the Ukrainian authorities to ensure the release of British citizens who served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and held as prisoners of war.” used the phrase. Aiden Aslin had previously been in the ranks of the YPG/PKK.
UKRAINE HAS STRICT RUSSIAN SOLDIERS TO IMPRISONMENT
21-year-old Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin, who was convicted of killing 62-year-old Ukrainian Aleksandr Shelipov in Sumi, Ukraine on February 28, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court in the case held on May 23 in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. The Russian soldier said he regretted killing the Ukrainian civilian and apologized to the family of the civilian he killed.
Russian soldiers Aleksandr Bobukin and Aleksandr Ivanov were sentenced by the Kotelevsky Court in the Poltava region on May 31, on the grounds that they were part of an artillery unit that fired artillery shells from the Belgorod region of Russia on February 24 and targeted the infrastructure and civilian settlements in Kozacha Lopan in the Kharkov region of Ukraine. He was sentenced to 11 years and 6 months in prison each. (UAV)