Separatists sentence three Ukrainian army mercenaries to death

Separatists sentence three Ukrainian army mercenaries to death

The trio fought for Ukraine, according to the Russian news agency. He was sentenced in the “Donetsk People’s Republic”.

The Supreme Court of the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) sentenced to death three foreign fighters in the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces as mercenaries. According to Russian news agency TASS, the death penalty will be imposed for “all crimes together”. The accused are two Britons and a Moroccan. You can still appeal the verdict within a month.

The trial against the three men began on Wednesday, largely closed to the public. They are accused of violent seizure of power. According to the court, the accused “admitted his guilt”. One of the men also “admitted to having been trained in terrorist attacks.”

The two Britons were captured by pro-Russian forces in mid-April in the port of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. According to media reports, they both lived in Ukraine before the war and were also married there.

No moratorium on the death penalty in Donetsk

After the Russian invasion, they fought alongside the Ukrainian army. However, the Russian leadership has repeatedly stated in the past that it generally regards foreigners as mercenaries. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov recently threatened that they would not be considered combatants and would not be subject to international laws protecting prisoners of war.

In Russia there is a moratorium on the death penalty. In breakaway republics, however, this moratorium does not apply. According to media reports, the execution could be carried out by shooting.

(APA)