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Updated June 9th, 2022 at 21:08 IST

DPR court sentences three foreign mercenaries to death for fighting in Ukraine amid war

Amid ongoing war, the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic has sentenced three foreign mercenaries who fought for Ukraine to death.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
DPR
Image: AP/Shutterstock/Representative | Image:self
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Amid the ongoing ravaging war in Eastern Europe, the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has sentenced three foreign mercenaries who fought for Ukraine to death. According to reports, the foreign mercenaries include two citizens of the United Kingdom as well as one from Morocco. They have been identified as Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner from Britain and Saadun Brahim from Morocco. Meanwhile, during the reading of the verdict, the chairman of the judicial board stated that defendants have the right to appeal against the decision within one month. 

On Wednesday, June 8, all three pleaded guilty to acts of seizing power by force. The relevant article of the Criminal Code of the DPR provides for the death penalty for such acts. Meanwhile, Aslin also pleaded guilty to "training in order to carry out terrorist activities," RIA Novosti news agency reported. The investigation found that foreign mercenaries took part in the armed aggression of Ukraine to "forcibly seize power in the DPR for a reward."

Russia warns foreign mercenaries fighting in Ukraine of criminal charges

According to the Republic's Prosecutor General's Office, mercenaries' involvement in crimes under Part 2 of Article 34 of the DPR Criminal Code (Crimes committed by a group of persons), Article 323 of the DPR Criminal Code (Forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power), and Article 430 of the DPR Criminal Code (Mercenary activities) was established as a result of their testimonies. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry has also stated that foreign mercenaries in Ukraine are not fighters and will face criminal charges.

Number of foreign combatants in Ukraine dropped from 6,600 to around 3,500: Russia

Earlier on June 2, Major General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for the Russian Defence Ministry, claimed that the number of foreign combatants in Ukraine has dropped from 6,600 to around 3,500 as of now. According to Konashenkov, mercenaries wish to leave Ukraine due to the severe casualties inflicted during the course of the war, but the Kyiv regime has not allowed them to do so. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukrainian authorities had hired about 7,000 mercenaries from 63 countries to fight in the war, with many of them fleeing, killed, or kidnapped. 

Image: AP/Shutterstock/Representative

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Published June 9th, 2022 at 21:08 IST

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