Russian media reported that two British citizens and one Moroccan were sentenced to death in the eastern Ukraine by pro-Moscow separatist rebels.
Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, who were captured while fighting in Ukraine, were convicted by a court of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic for working towards a violent overthrow. They were also found guilty of terrorist activities and mercenary activities.
NBC News was unable to confirm the reports independently.
After the ruling was made, Alexander Nikulin, Chairman of the Collegium of the Appeals Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic stated that the court was guided by the “main, unshakeable principle of justice”. Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.
He said, “It made possible to make this difficult choice to apply an extraordinary measure of punishment in form of the death penalty for convicts.”
He stated that the defendants had “pleaded guilty all charges”, but the prosecution wasn’t based on their guilty pleas.
According to Russia’s state-owned RIA Novosti news media, the laws of Donetsk People’s Republic mandate that the death penalty be executed by firing squad. The defendants have one month to appeal.
The sentences were condemned by Liz Truss, Britain’s foreign secretary.
“They are prisoners in war.” She wrote that this is a fake judgment without any legitimacy. My thoughts and prayers are with the families. We will continue to do all we can to help them.”
The governor of Luhansk said that Ukrainian soldiers might have to leave Sievierodonetsk, the easternmost city in the region.
Serhiy Haidai posted on Telegram that “Fierce fighting continues in the city itself. Street battles are taking part with varied success in city block,” he said. “The army Ukraine is fighting for every house and street. Sievierodonetsk lies in the last Luhansk pocket that the Russians have not yet taken.”
In recent weeks, the main conflict has been the street-by-street struggle for the city. Russia is slowly moving toward its larger goal to take full control over the industrial Donbass region.
Last major Ukrainian city in Luhansk, which is also home to neighboring Donetsk, has been ravaged by artillery in an intense battle that remains difficult to understand.
Kyiv claimed that a counteroffensive was launched over the weekend to help its forces regain some ground. However, the situation seems to have worsened since then.
