The Supreme Court of the separatist “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) has sentenced to death three foreign fighters in the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces as mercenaries. According to the Russian news agency TASS, the death penalty will be imposed for “all crimes taken together”.
They are accused of acts of violent seizure of power. According to the court, the defendants “admitted their guilt”. One of the men also “admitted to having been trained in terrorist attacks”. The accused are two Britons and one Moroccan. You can still appeal the verdict within a month.
The two Britons were captured by pro-Russian forces in mid-April in the southeastern Ukrainian port of Mariupol. According to media reports, both had lived in Ukraine before the war and also married there. After the Russian invasion, they fought on the side of the Ukrainian army. However, the Russian leadership has repeatedly stated in the past that it generally regards foreigners as “mercenaries”.
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