Fierce fighting continues in critical city of Severodonetsk, Ukrainian officials say

A courtroom within the pro-Russian self-proclaimed Donetsk Folks’s Republic on Thursday sentenced three males to demise that it has accused of being “mercenaries” for Ukraine, in response to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti.

British residents Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and Moroccan nationwide Brahim Saadoune appeared in courtroom on Thursday, the place they have been handed down the demise penalty. 

The three males — all international fighters for the Ukrainian army — have been captured by Russian forces in mid-April in Mariupol. 

Saadoune, Aslin and Pinner have been sentenced to demise and shall be shot, in response to RIA Novosti’s reporting from the courtroom in Donetsk.

The “head of the judicial board” in Donetsk stated that the convicted males “can enchantment the choice inside a month,” in response to RIA Novosti.

One of many defendants’ attorneys, Pavel Kosovan, stated that his consumer would enchantment the decision, Russian state media TASS reported after the demise penalty was handed down.

On Wednesday, Pinner, Aslin and Saadoune pleaded responsible to acts of “seizing energy by pressure,” state media reported on the time.  

“The related article of the Prison Code of the DPR supplies for the demise penalty,” in response to RIA Novosti.

Aslin additionally pleaded responsible beneath the article “coaching with a view to perform terrorist actions,” in response to state media.

The so-called Donetsk Folks’s Republic, a pro-Russian space within the east of Ukraine, just isn’t an internationally acknowledged authorities; due to this fact, the courtroom’s choices usually are not thought of legit by the worldwide neighborhood.