2 British And Moroccan Citizens Sentenced To Death After Being Proven To Help Ukrainian Soldiers Against Russia

JAKARTA - Pro-Russian officials sentenced two British men and a Moroccan national to death while fighting in the Ukrainian army in Mariupol.

A court in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine has sentenced Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner after days of proceedings. Many considered it a fake 'trial'.

According to The Guardian, Aslin, 28, from Newark, and Pinner, 48, from Watford, were convicted by a court in the Russian-controlled territory of Donetsk alongside Saaudun Brahim on serious charges of "terrorism".

The two Britons say they serve in the Ukrainian marines, making them active-duty soldiers who must be protected by the Geneva convention on prisoners of war. However, Russian state media has described the men as mercenaries, and courts have sentenced them.

Pro-Russian officials claim their actions have caused civilian deaths and injuries, as well as damage to civil and social infrastructure.

A pro-Russian official in Donetsk said that while the men pleaded guilty, they were given the death penalty for "the main unshakable principle - justice". The proceedings were closed and only a small part of the proceedings was made public through the pro-Kremlin media.