The DPR High Court handed down death sentences to three foreigners, Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin of Britain and Moroccan Saadoun Brahim, accusing them of taking part in hostilities on the Ukrainian side as mercenaries.
“On the basis of the aggregate of the crimes, Aslin Aiden, Pinner Sean and Saadun Brahim were finally sentenced to death,” stated the verdict.
Under DPR law, convicts can be executed by shooting.
“According to the results of the analysis of the total evidence examined at the court session, the court concludes that the crimes of Aslin Aiden, Pinner Sean and Saadun Brahim have been proven,” the decision declared.
The defendants were found guilty of mercenary activity and “acting in actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order of the DPR.” As the head of the judicial chamber noted, the sentence was issued “according to the sum of the crimes.”
The verdict may be appealed within one month.
Additionally, under the DPR constitution, the convicted person has a right to seek amnesty, which can replace the death penalty with life imprisonment or 25 years behind bars, as determined by the republic’s leader, Denis Pushilin. Amnesty could be used to modify the sentence.
“In making the decision, the court was guided not only by the prescribed norms and rules, but also by a core, unwavering principle – justice. It was that principle that enabled the difficult choice to impose an exceptional penalty in the form of the death penalty on the convicts,” the statement noted.
The court also stated that Sean Pinner was designated a terrorist in the United Kingdom.
“Pinner Sean faced UK warrants for his participation in conflicts in Iraq and Syria and was deemed a terrorist in the UK. In this context, Pinner Sean came to Ukraine to participate in hostilities,” the statement added.
What are foreigners accused of?
On June 6, the DPR High Court began reviewing the merits of the case involving the two Britons and the Moroccan, with proceedings resuming on June 7.
On June 5, the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor announced that the investigation had concluded and, based on statements from the foreigners, crimes under Part 2 of Article 34 of the DPR Criminal Code, including “hosting a group to commit a crime,” the seizure of power or violent hold on power, and mercenary activity, had been established.
In the DPR, the de facto permissible death penalty is provided for these wartime crimes, and there is no moratorium on this measure.
According to the investigation, the defendants participated in hostilities on the Ukrainian side “to forcibly seize power in the DPR” for compensation.
DPR head Denis Pushilin called the decision a “logical conclusion” of the case.
The aliens admitted guilt under charges related to assisting terrorist activities. Pinner and Brahim were also found guilty of acts aimed at seizing power. They maintain that they are not mercenaries in the armed conflict with Ukraine.
Decision will be appealed
The foreigners sentenced to death intend to appeal the decision.
“All three defendants wish to appeal this ruling because they were not prepared to hear about the death penalty being imposed today. That is the death penalty,” said Pavel Kosovan, one of the defendants’ lawyers.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss condemned the sentence as unacceptable for prisoners of war.
“This is an entirely unenforceable, fictitious judgment. My thoughts are with the families. We will continue to support them,” he commented.
In London, officials pledged to keep working with Ukrainian authorities to secure the release of “any British national serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and held as a prisoner of war.”
Prior to the decision, Dominic Raab, the UK justice secretary, said London would file all necessary complaints against the DPR court’s ruling. He noted that the UK expects its citizens to adhere to international humanitarian law.
“We will present every complaint. I know the British Foreign Office will ensure these applications are properly handled,” he added.
The minister did not specify how this would be done. Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidential press secretary, previously emphasized that an appeal from London could raise questions about the de facto legitimacy of DPR authorities.
On April 20, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Russia to treat prisoners of war with compassion. He stated that Pinner and Aslin were not mercenaries but members of the Ukrainian armed forces and that the British government opposed their participation in the fighting.
What is known about the convicts
Sean Pinner, 48, told investigators that he worked as a trainer for the Ukrainian armed forces. The Briton was captured in Mariupol in April with troops from the Ukrainian 36th Separate Marine Brigade. According to Zvezda TV, 27-year-old Aslin fought with the Ukrainian Marine Corps and reportedly surrendered in Mariupol after stating he fought on the front lines. Both had served with the Ukrainian armed forces since 2018. Sky News had previously identified Pinner and Aslin in January as residents of the area who had ties to Ukraine. Pinner claimed he lived in Mariupol and was married to a Ukrainian, and Aslin said he owned a house and had a fiancée in Ukraine. Brahim Saadoun reported signing a three-year contract with the Ukrainian armed forces in December 2021. He served as a sailor in the 36th Marine Brigade and returned to Ukraine in 2019 to study at Poltava University of Economics and Commerce before joining the Ukrainian army for combat experience. He surrendered at Volnovakha in March. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that mercenaries arriving in Ukraine are not combatants and would face long prison terms.