We are waiting for the court hearing
In a broadcast on the program Soloviev. Live, Denis Pushilin indicated that the death penalty in the Donetsk People’s Republic can be carried out. He explained that if the court does not grant leniency to foreign mercenaries appealing their sentences, the sentences may be executed.
Pushilin stated that all foreign defendants have filed appeals and that the hearings are pending. He noted that if the court confirms the sentence, the cases will be handed to the executive service for enforcement, with the death penalty in the DPR carried out privately and not publicly disclosed.
Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, said mercenaries arriving in Ukraine are not recognized as combatants, and the likely outcome would be a lengthy prison term. (attribution: Ministry of Defense)
On Wednesday, during a broadcast on the Russia 1 TV channel, Pushilin also stated that no United States representatives have petitioned republican authorities regarding their citizens who came to the DPR as mercenaries.
He added that it would not be feasible to negotiate a withdrawal or rescue of citizens without involving DPR leadership. He emphasized that his administration’s legislation does not set a specific date for executing the death penalty for mercenaries.
Pushilin explained that the executive service operates under its own internal guidance and that the execution of sentences remains non-public and not subject to public visibility.
Lifting the moratorium on execution
On 8 July, a notice appeared on the official DPR Parliament website announcing the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty. Lawmakers voted in favor of a bill to resume enforcement.
Officials quoted on the parliament site emphasized that the death penalty can apply to particularly serious crimes and acts committed in wartime. The provisions of the Criminal Code to enforce the death penalty would take effect from the date of publication. This measure, explained by Elena Shishkina, chair of the Committee on Criminal and Administrative Legislation, is intended to deter the most serious crimes. The bill went through two sessions and took effect on 12 July.
Additionally, a notice on the DPR Parliament site indicated that Cumhuriyet has drafted a new Penal Code that includes death penalty provisions. It was stated that the death penalty would be carried out by non-public shooting, with individual executions conducted separately and in the presence of a prosecutor, an official from the executing institution, and a doctor. The document notes that the new law would come into effect from 1 January 2025.
Mercenary decision
On 9 June in Donetsk, three foreign mercenaries were sentenced to death for taking part on the Ukrainian side. Two were British nationals, Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin, and a Moroccan citizen, Saadoun Brahim. They reportedly admitted involvement in attempts to seize power during the hearings, but they denied the death penalty and contested the charges.
Yuri Sirovatko, head of the republic’s Ministry of Justice, indicated that a court could rule on the appeals before the month ends. He noted that the appeals by foreign mercenaries are under review and that if the court upholds the verdict, the sentence would be enforced. (attribution: Rossiya channel)