The father of the Moroccan young man, Saadoun, told Al Jazeera Net: My son's innocence is in the hands of his Ukrainian leader and he was manipulated into admitting that he is a mercenary

Taher Saadoun, the father of the Moroccan student Ibrahim Saadoun (21 years old), who was sentenced to death in the Donetsk region, revealed that the commander of the Ukrainian Legion in which his son Ibrahim worked, his testimony would be decisive to exonerate him, after he finally surrendered with 160 members.

Saadoun the father explains in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net that this new fact is "in favor of Ibrahim's acquittal, and the innocence of my son is in the hands of his commander, who can provide testimony about Ibrahim, because he never fought with weapons, but was assigned a non-combat mission."

Donetsk separatist forces had arrested Saadoun Jr. last March in the town of Volnakha, located between Mariupol and Donetsk.

Saadoun explains that he sent a letter to the Russian Kremlin about Ibrahim;

One of its positive effects is that his son underwent a medical examination on Friday by a court order.

"We are the ones who asked for a medical examination on Ibrahim after a message I sent to the Kremlin last Tuesday personally and directly, and another message is about to be sent to Pushilin, the President of the Donetsk Republic," Al-Taher added.

Young Ibrahim Al-Taher Saadoun was subjected to manipulation and pressure to admit that he is a mercenary, as his father says (social networking sites)

Death sentence appeal payments ready

Ibrahim Saadoun's father reports that he had contacted lawyer Yelena Vesnina last Wednesday in a web chat, in which she informed him that she had prepared the appeals against the death sentence against his son for being accused of fighting as a mercenary by the separatists in Donetsk, and that she would "follow up on all the prominent marks on the accused's body."

And the appeal trial, which started in early July, is expected to be attended by Taher Saadoun, he tells Al Jazeera Net.

He stressed that he is preparing for the possibility of moving to the site of the trial of his son Ibrahim, and that this matter came after a request from him and a response from the other party, and that he is in the process of studying the logistical arrangements.

Regarding the interference of the Moroccan government in the Donetsk Republic, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry announced that it does not negotiate or communicate with an unrecognized republic.

The Moroccan embassy in Kyiv had issued a statement denying its contact with the republic, and reiterated that "this entity is not recognized by either us or the United Nations."

"Therefore, there can be no official or unofficial contact of the Moroccan state with such an entity," the statement added.

Therefore, Saadoun says, "We are heading to a region that Morocco does not recognize, but there is the possibility of cooperation with NGOs, in addition to the National Council for Human Rights in Morocco, where its president, Amina Bouayach, spoke with the Moscow authorities."

In response to what was reported by the Russian news agency TASS about Ibrahim's mental illness, the father, Saadoun, said, "If my son had been mentally ill, he would not have joined a university study in a highly sensitive academic division (Kyiv College of Aerodynamics and Space Technology).

Commenting on the health situation and the condition in which Ibrahim appeared during his trial, his father said, "It seems clear that my son suffers psychologically through captivity and trauma, and the family noticed this, because this young man was active, unlike the dismay that seemed to him through his looks that suggest the situation." The psychological situation he lives in, as he was previously in a good health condition, and changed only when he was arrested.”

He warns all concerned officials, "If my son becomes mentally ill as a result of captivity, I hold them responsible and will not waive his rights."

Separatist fighters in Donetsk region (Reuters)

The secret behind changing confessions

The father points out that during the trial, "It seemed to us that Ibrahim changed a lot, especially when the verdict was pronounced, and he was smiling and laughing throughout the trial sessions whenever he was described as a mercenary, although he denies this, because he confirms that he signed a contract with the Ukrainian army."

The man goes on to say, "Ibrahim cannot insist on denying that he is a mercenary throughout the investigation stages, and then changes his statements at the last moment, which is what the court based its death sentence on, and it seemed clear that Ibrahim was under pressure to change his statements."

The father noticed signs of sleep deprivation that were evident in the dark circles around his son's eyes, he says.

Saadoun, the father, expresses his wish that he arrive at the court site to see what is happening, "even if it costs me to go alone in the midst of the war... I don't care about the dangers that might face me despite my warning of that."

He added, "We are the ones who requested a psychiatric medical intervention and a sworn expert to examine Ibrahim whether he was beaten or tortured or not. We sent our request through channels that we deal with and communicate with the concerned authorities who arrest him."

'Russia is not a demon'

As for the nature of the intermediary channels that the father of the Moroccan student sentenced to death deals with, Saadoun says that they are semi-official channels and that there are Russian non-governmental associations that are in solidarity with Ibrahim’s case, and are looking into the possibility of moving forward in addressing his case.

The grieving father, who seemed confident of his mediators, pointed out that "Russia is not that frightening image presented by some media, but also has people who struggle for respect for international law during the war, including university professors."

He believes that "Russia is not a greater demon... Rather, it is a country that has its own institutions and responsible men who are able to act wisely and respect international law."

Al-Taher confirms that he is waiting to re-communicate with Ibrahim's lawyer, especially since contacting her is very difficult, as she is in the conflict zone, as the exchange of fire makes communication with her difficult on the technical level and physical safety.