A court of the pro-Russian separatist authorities in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine has sentenced to death a Moroccan and two Britons who were captured while fighting with the Ukrainian forces, and the three were convicted of participating in the fighting as mercenaries.
And the official Russian news agency "TASS" reported today, Thursday, that "the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic has sentenced to death the British Eden Aslin (28 years), Shawn Benner (48 years old), and Moroccan Ibrahim Saadoun (21 years old), and a lawyer for one of the convicts told TASS that the convicted They will appeal the ruling.
The Russian agency stated that Moroccan Ibrahim Saadoun and Britain's Sean Boehner maintained their innocence of the charge of "mercenarism", but admitted their participation in the battles "aimed at the violent seizure of power." Lowest grade related to weapons and explosives.
Judge's statement
"The evidence presented by the prosecution in this case allowed the court to pass a verdict of guilt, not to mention the fact that all the accused, without exception, pleaded guilty to all charges," Alexander Nikulin, a judge at the Donetsk separatist authorities' court, told reporters.
The moment of pronouncement of the death sentence against Moroccan citizen Ibrahim Saadoun and two British citizens on charges of fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in Donbass #Ukraine #Russia pic.twitter.com/Soda27u6Ry
— Amine Derghami (@Derghamia) June 9, 2022
Reuters reported that the trial of the three prisoners of war was hastily conducted behind closed doors in most of its proceedings, with information on trial proceedings handed over to a select group of Russian state-owned media agencies.
Donetsk separatist forces arrested Moroccan Saadoun last March in the town of Volnakha, located between Mariupol and Donetsk.
British families
The families of Aslin and Piner say that the latter two have been living in Ukraine since 2018. Aslin joined the Ukrainian Marines and served in it for 4 years. The Pinner family says that her son officially joined the Ukrainian army, and he is married to a Ukrainian.
In response to the ruling by the separatist court, Britain said it was "deeply concerned" after the death sentence was announced for British fighters, and a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "we reiterate that prisoners of war should not be used for political reasons." Johnson's spokesman said that under Geneva Conventions POWs are entitled to combatant immunity and should not be prosecuted for their participation in hostilities.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also condemned the verdict against Asselin and Beiner, describing it as a "sham ruling that lacks any legitimacy".
The Ukrainian government condemned the verdict against the British and Moroccan, saying that they are members of the Ukrainian army, and that their trial in the occupied Ukrainian lands lacks any basis.
There was no comment from the Moroccan authorities on the ruling against Saadoun.
Leaders of the separatist forces have hinted in recent weeks that captured Ukrainian soldiers, including members of the Azov battalion who were trapped in the Azovstal steel complex in Mariupol, could face trial and the death penalty.