According to reports from TASS, Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, stated that there was no justification to grant clemency to foreign nationals who had already received death sentences from the DPR court.
He explained that the court’s ruling must guide any potential pardon, noting that the nature of the offenses and the crimes involved provide no basis for amnesty at this time.
Recently, a court in the DPR convicted British citizens Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin, along with Moroccan Saadoun Brahim, of taking part in hostilities as mercenaries linked to Ukrainian armed groups.
The DPR Prosecutor’s Office indicated that Pinner, Aslin, and Brahim were implicated in crimes described under Part 2 of Article 34 of the DPR Criminal Code for “committing a crime by a group of people,” Article 323 for “the seizure of power or forced retention of power,” and Article 430 for “Mercenary.”
Following the ruling, a member of the judiciary board noted that convicts possess the right to seek amnesty and may appeal within a month.
The defendants partially admitted guilt but did not acknowledge their involvement under Article 430, which concerns mercenarism.
Pavel Kosovan, counsel for the defendants, told TASS that the prisoners may petition the head of the DPR for a pardon. He added that the law does not allow for a lighter penalty, such as life imprisonment or a 25-year term, in place of the sentence handed down.
According to Kosovan, the head of the republic can act on his own initiative by issuing an additional decree, either showing mercy or not.
reaction in England
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss condemned the death penalty for British nationals in the DPR and described it as illegitimate.
Truss stated on Twitter that she strongly condemns the punishment of Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner, emphasizing that they are prisoners of war and that the decision is unfounded and lacks legitimacy. Her thoughts were with their families, and efforts would continue to support them.
Pinner, Aslin, and Brahim surrendered in Mariupol in mid-April. The British government was approached by Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a request to swap them for Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. Subsequently, Medvedchuk’s wife, Oksana Marchenko, urged relatives to ask Johnson to arrange a prisoner of war exchange for her husband. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later indicated that exchanging Medvedchuk for POWs was unlikely.
Simultaneously, the Sunday Express reported that Ukrainian authorities entertained the possibility of exchanging Viktor Medvedchuk for two British citizens.
A source close to Kyiv officials noted discussions with the UK Foreign Secretary about cooperation and expressed willingness to consider an exchange with Medvedchuk, though Kremlin approval was seen as unlikely due to Medvedchuk’s changed standing in Kyiv’s eyes. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration reportedly viewed him as less central to the current context.
Moreover, the June 12 edition of the Sunday People carried an article in which British mercenaries expressed anger over their comrades’ death sentences and signaled a desire to return to the front lines. One interviewee, Peter Fauci, described intensified resolve to defend freedom and democracy, despite the punitive news, and noted plans to rejoin the fighting soon. Another friend, Macer Gifford, who had supported the prisoners, urged authorities to pursue their release more earnestly.
The fate of the Moroccans
Saadoun Brahim, a 21-year-old Moroccan, has not had public statements from Moroccan authorities regarding his death sentence, as of now.
According to Brahim’s attorney Elena Vesnina, the defendant came to Ukraine to study after transferring several universities in Kyiv. He had not previously participated in hostilities but was recruited during training.
Vesnina described Brahim as a young man who faced personal turmoil at home, suggesting he sought to prove himself. The attorney attributed his recruitment to pressure from a local acquaintance and indicated that a family rift may have contributed to his decisions.
Is an appeal possible
Artur Airapetov, a lawyer and member of the Moscow Bar Association, previously noted that convicted British and Moroccan nationals may lodge an appeal in person. He explained that the right to appeal exists for all defendants, but the decision to exercise it rests with the individuals or their legal representatives, not with foreign officials.
Airapetov also emphasized that British and Moroccan authorities would need to recognize the outcome of the DPR court to explore any exchange arrangements. He remarked that the process would require practical agreement with the DPR and that formal recognition by the respective governments would matter, even though the DPR’s legal framework does not depend on such recognition alone.
He concluded that the stance of other states toward the DPR sentence would not alter its legal status within DPR law, though it could influence diplomatic or exchange negotiations.